Last weekend, our friends Matt and Nicole (and their son, Caden) took us to Waipara, New Zealand.

What’s in Waipara? Wine. That’s what’s in Waipara (wine, and wine alone).

That’s right, we went in search of some of the best wine in New Zealand. Now, reportedly, Blenheim is where to go to get the best wine, but why drive 4 hours when you can drive 20 minutes?

Waipara is only about 20-30 minutes away from Christchurch, and it is known for its pinot noir, Riesling, and chardonnay wines.

On our way there, we decided that no trip to wine country would be complete without also stopping at a beer brewery. So, we pulled in to BrewMoon for a beer tasting.

To be honest, I thought all of their beers were a little bitter for my taste. But, they served great lunch, and we had a fun time.

From there it was back to the business of the day: wine. Our first stop was Mudhouse Wines. But, they charged for a tasting, so we left…in search of free tastings.

We found the first one at: Torlesse. We were able to taste most of their wines, and even walked away with a bottle of Port.

Then we went to another winery, and tasted some great Rieslings.

On our way back to Christchurch, we decided to stop at MudHouse and pay their fee after all.

The pourer at Mud House was great. He was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about his wine offerings.

Caden had fun looking at the water fountain and sculpture outside. Then it was back home for us after a great day for our taste buds.