Our second winery was at the Te Māina and Richmond Plains estate. Interesting that both are served…read moretogether under one roof! First time seeing that. We dropped in on a Saturday morning (around 11:00am) and were greeted by an enthusiastic, fantastic server (Jo). She's actually the first person to formally introduce herself. Very personable. They also sell Hogarth Craft chocolates ($12.00 NZD). We actually sampled these at the Nelson Farmers Market; pretty tasty if you like dark chocolates. Wine tastings are $2.00 NZD each and there was 8 types available (4 from Te Mānia and 4 from Richmond Plains). We tried half of the options. As always, fee is waived when you buy a bottle. - Blanc de noir 2017 - this is their award winning wine. Pretty unique as it's made with red pinot noir grapes but in a white wine style. We liked this best and bought a bottle ($22.99 NZD). - Blue moon sauvignon blanc 2016 - this one was interesting as the green capsicum was very prominent. - Pinot noir rose 2017 - pretty refreshing with a dry minerality. - Ice riesling 2017 - quite reasonable for a bottle. Light but closer to a riesling. We liked this spot. Two in one!

I was in route to my hotel and we stopped by this lovely vineyard. The view is breathtaking. I did…read morenot have dinner there, but I had a lovely wine tasting. There's a fantastic terrace, there's indoor seating, and there's also availability to sit on the grass. The Vineyard is breathtaking with a fantastic view of the adjacent lake. My photo did not do it justice! The vineyard has multiple varietals, and I recommend you try as many as you would like. Keep in mind none of which you would find outside NZ so highly recommend consideration of spoiling yourself and enjoy when you get home. I know NZ is commonly known for white wines but there are some gorgeous reds that are a must!!! They also ship to several countries. Our wine steward for the tasting was knowledgeable, friendly, thoughtful and extremely helpful. It is a gorgeous setting.

An unexpected gem at a roadside brewery/ taproom that we almost did not bother with until another…read morelocal highly recommended them. Afterall, even though they advertise as a taproom, they are operating off license and are therefore unable to serve full-sized pints. However, they do offer a tasting free of charge with no pressure to purchase any of the numerous cans or riggers in the fridges afterward. We were offered small tastes and WOW it was mind blowing! Most offerings were pale "unfiltered" pales and NZ-hopped pilsners but they were tasting FRESH, crisp and bright. The Green Mountain IPA with Nelson sauvin, Mosaic and Pacifica hops was especially sticky with some ripe, lemony notes. The wife-husband duo, Jason Bathgate (previous head brewer of award winning McLeod Brewery in Wellington) and Monica Mead, are previously from Vermont, USA, so this style made sense. The other favorite was the Bathgate Pale with ultra bright citrusy notes, its pale format making for an absolutely crushable beer. Safe to say, we purchased many a can for takeaway, even taking a chance on 2 DIPA's that weren't on tap anymore, the Chuck and Pitter Patter DIPA. Crazed craft beer nerds we may be, but enthusiastic ones at that, having returned from the land of hops with HIGH praise for this little brewery in Riwaka/ Motueka.

After a ferry journey of 3 hours from Wellington, we found this delightful brewery/cafe nestled in…read morethe lovely Heritage park overlooking Nelson Bay. Beers have been crafted for many years by the operators of this establishment and we had an opportunity to try every type from 1854 to present. The food was flavorful and paired well with their craft brews. Try a paddle and take home a box of your favorites like we di.

great location, good beer. Food a bit overpriced though. I found the portion of the green curry a…read morebit small with little meat for that kind of money.

Nelson plays host to multiple Sprig & Fern locations, with the main location being voted 'best bar'…read morein NZ, many years running. With no real knowledge of the differences between locations, we ended up at Hardy Street, simply because it was on our route. We loved this particular location, for its fantastic bar ambiance, and I do hope they are factored into the overall Sprig & Fern ambiance in the 'best bar' vote. Walking in, wandering up to the bar, we were overwhelmed by the variety of hoppy IPA choices- the bartender asked, 'what will it be', and I said, 'no idea', because I wasn't ready to decide on my IPA of choice quite yet. Though, the bartender took this to mean I was a beer novice, and was super friendly, as he began to describe the different beers to me- when I clarified, 'oh I know beers & taste preferences, the bar just offered too many great sounding IPAs'-and he immediately shifted gears and started pouring mini sample IPA sips to help narrow the choices! (and I didn't even have to ask-how nice). Once we made our pint selections, we stayed up at the bar for a bit chatting about life in Nelson, NZ-learning about his life journey, moving from Italy, learning about life during COVID, and life after re-opening. Then we nestled into the corner booth, enjoying our beers & music. An absolute delight of an evening, well-priced, tasty brews, and nice ambiance.

Great brews, food, friendly helpful staff. $10 lunch specials during the week. The falafel was…read morewell seasoned and delightfully crispy. Try the Golden IPA and the cider