Bladen Wines — Attraction in South Island

My family and I visited Bladen for lunch for the first time yesterday. Having never visited any wine farms in NZ, recently immigrating to NZ, I was, to be brutally honest, a bit disappointed.

I had researched a few other wineries on line and popped in to 2 other cellar doors in the morning before deciding on Bladen to have lunch , based on the photos and reviews on line (especially considering that we only had one day to do this).

I cannot fault Christine's hosting skills and great personality but I feel that with a reasonably "small" winery, like Bladen, and being as popular as it is, it should be able to cater for the influx of visitors, especially over the holiday period. I felt sorry for Christine who was literally run off her feet trying to handle the wine tastings and spend as much time with each party to explain and serve the wine. It's at this moment that you, as a visitor, can feel slightly disengaged with the whole wine experience and her attention in describing the wines. A helping hand would really be a benefit to this establishment to allow the visitor to engage more with the host and possibly spend more time enjoying the wine - at no point were we offered a glass of wine of our choice after the tasting, so not sure if that's the norm. The food was mediocre with a fair selection to choose from but again, I personally would have enjoyed more breads and savoury condiments to choose from. I'm not sure if there was tea and coffee available but we weren't offered any, especially when we had underage kids with us.

Having been in the service industry myself, service and customer attention is critical and all it takes is one poor or not so good experience to be encountered by a visitor that could lead to a bad review and a visitor deciding not to pop in. The photos on line are also slightly misleading, especially to first time visitors as we base our decision (most of the time) on the setting of the place and not as much on how good the wine is - even poor tasting food, in an exquisite setting can cause the food to taste good 😊. I did enjoy the Riesling and the Pinot Rose but will reserve comment on the others.

So, would I return to Bladen??? I don't think so but that is no reflection on Christine or her brother at all, however, I do believe there is room for...

Bladen Wines was hands-down our favorite stop of the day! This small, family-run winery truly stands out for its breathtaking vineyards and the genuine passion the family pours into every aspect of their winemaking.

The tasting experience was unique and immersive, taking us out into the vineyards to learn about the winemaking process from the very beginning. It was incredible to see and hear firsthand how much care and dedication goes into every bottle.

We had the pleasure of meeting the entire family, which made the visit even more special. Deni, the daughter, led our tasting and was so knowledgeable and engaging, making every sip a story worth remembering. Meanwhile, Mom, Chris, kept our husbands entertained on the beautiful outdoor grounds as they relaxed, enjoyed the views, and savored a few bottles of wine overlooking the vines.

Bladen Wines is a must-visit for anyone looking for an authentic and memorable wine-tasting experience. The combination of stunning scenery, exceptional wines, and the warm hospitality of this wonderful family made it the highlight of our day in Marlborough....

Fantastic experience tasting at Bladen!

Blair covered the tasting session and took the group through 6 wines, all of which were great, although our favourites were the Riesling, Rosé and the Sum of Us.

We found the wines were to our taste, a bit subtler than some of the Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Rosés typically found in Marlborough. The Rosé really had the characteristics of a Provence Rosé.

Blair nailed the tasting - he shared the family story behind the winery, the tasting notes and also interesting information on the harvesting process and how to produce a wine with the characteristics you are looking for. We found it all very interesting and it made for one of the best tasting experiences we have done in New Zealand and the rest of the world.

Thanks for a great afternoon and excellent news that we can buy your wine...