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Cruise Ship Wine Tour

Thank you for forwarding the photos of our day tour with you in Picton. We enjoyed the tour immensely and it was one of the highlights of our cruise. We are glad we took the opportunity of doing this tour with Jade and not through the ship excursions. The Highfield and Framingham wineries were certainly the high points of your tour. The winery where we had lunch was also good. By the time we got to Giesen we were literally “wined-out”. The fact however that you managed to cram six wineries and a visit to the chocolate factory into your tour (against only two on offer by the ships excursions) speaks volumes for your knowledge of the area and wineries to visit, and not to mention that you were a very entertaining tour guide. Wish you and all at Jade Tours continued success.

Half way through the winery stops !

Half way through the winery stops !

LandSAR hovering above the wineries.

Jade Tours manager (Mike) is also a member of Marlborough LandSAR. Fully trained and operational so practice getting in and out of helicopters is essential. We recently got the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the Air Force’s new NH 90’s. Lots of noise, strong winch and incredible views. I almost look forward to the next search callout.

Mike 3 Mike 6

Marlborough Wineries Art.

Beautiful sculptured art work found in hidden corners of our own Marlborough Wineries.

Lovely wall art at Forrest Winery.

Lovely wall art at Forrest Winery.

Garden art at Hunters Winery.

Garden art at Hunters Winery.

Marlborough Vine Music and Crazy Chickens!

Took a tour to Yealands Estate in December to meet the notorious over friendly chickens and they definitely live up to their reputation. As the car slowed to a halt we were mobbed, on opening the door a chicken hopped in, demanding food and seemingly a day trip out to the party music in the vines!

Chooks planning their assault on the car.

Chooks planning their assault on the car.

Here they come...

Here they come…

Music to grow vines to...

Music to grow vines to…

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Marlborough Wineries Product – the Old and New

Wineries’ product hasn’t changed much – in the good old days, energetic people stomped on the grapes to extract the juice and the process continued in large or small oak barrels. Progress has led to mechanisation and steel tanks, but I still like the product. Maybe the steel can impart the taste of sweaty feet !

Wine comes out of both

The old and new

The new drink from the old

The new drink from the old

Blenheim Christmas Wine Tour

It was a hot, hot Blenheim day and the cyclists were out in their droves – all with bottles of Marlborough’s finest in their panniers. One miscalculated wobble and all could be lost! There was great festive fun with the staff at Forrest Wineries – thank you for going the extra mile for our guests. Jade wishes seasons greeting to all and a very safe 2016.

Hot Blenheim day for biking!

Hot Blenheim day for biking!

Cruise ship wine and Sounds tour with Marlborough Jade

The new Jade

The new Jade

What an amazing wine tour for a party of Cruise ship passengers off the Voyager of the Seas.  12 passengers from Macedonia  filled the newly branded Marlborough Jade Tours bus and they were enthralled by the stunning views of Marlborough and the Sounds. The cherries were a big hit but the wine was too sweet – a wine maker in their midst suggested alcohol levels of 26% tasted better. We call that fortified wine ! We travelled through the Waihopi valley before the dreadful fire started and photographed the beautiful Wairau valley from the Highfield tower. Then away from the vineyards into the Havelock valley and across to the Queen Charlotte Sound and the climactic views of their beautiful ship, the Voyager of the Seas. A happy day for everyone.

http://www.royalcarribean.com

Jade at Brancott Winery Falcon Heritage Trust

Volunteers are working on Brancott Winery falcon breeding facility’s garden and it is definitely blooming with the new plants establishing themselves well. Jade Tours member Mike was supposed to be digging out weeds, but does seem to be slacking off – perhaps he has assumed a managerial position? Thanks to the labours of Neville and other hard workers the garden is looking good and is a pleasure to sit in with a well earned hot cup of coffee.

Beautiful Fern.

Beautiful Fern.

Time for a cuppa, Mike?

Time for a cuppa, Mike?

Sipping wine and ambling around the vineyards.

Lovely sunny day when the Diamond Princess berthed – very relaxing for our guests who enjoyed the wines and the lunch at Wairau River Estate. We met Argos and Cooper the friendly wine dogs at Highfield Estate  – Cooper is taking it easy now and leaves Argos to keep the guests in good order. When Argos is tired from all the running around offering visitors his precious piece of wood, he retires to the back of his master’s car. Here he keeps a watchful eye on the happenings at the winery.

Cooper is famous in the "Dogs of Wine" book.

Cooper is famous in the “Dogs of Wine” book.

Argos meets and greets Highfield guests.

Argos meets and greets Highfield guests.

Jade Tours and the Noordam 4th November 2015

It was not a good start to the day – howling gales, bitterly cold and driving rain, but the hardy passengers from the good ship Noordam arrived undaunted, ready for fun. They wined, dined and thoroughly enjoyed their day in Marlborough although they had to admit it was their first rain in 3 weeks. They were very forgiving and said a “change is as good as a holiday”!2015-11-04 PictonMisty

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