February wines and food harvest festival

By Joelle Thomson

Ancient native trees will provide shade and the setting for the first local wine and food festival of 2024 at The Cliffs Riverside Reserve on Saturday 17 February, 10 minutes’ drive from both Masterton and Carterton.

The Wairarapa Wines Harvest Festival takes its name from the annual grape harvest, which will begin shortly after the festival. 

While its somewhat remote location sets it apart from the village atmosphere of Toast Martinborough, Wairarapa Wines Harvest Festival will be well connected to Featherston, Martinborough, Greytown, Wellington and the Hutt Valley with a combination of coaches or shuttles to and from all locations. 

This means festival-goers can enjoy wine, without driving.

Local is key with food from nine caterers in the region and 13 local wineries booked in. The wineries come from Greytown, Martinborough, Te Muna Valley, Gladstone and Masterton.

Tickets for the annual Wairarapa Wines Harvest Festival are now on sale and, for the first time this year, there will be a masterclass style event. This will offer an opportunity to taste lesser known wines and learn how they are made.

“We are delighted to offer a masterclass style event for the first time. This will feature eight off the beaten track wines where each winemaker will provide an insider’s look under the bonnet, showcasing how our local wineries are pushing the boundaries of traditional wine making,” says festival general manager Carla Steed.

Wineries booked in to the 2024 festival include Alexia Wines, Big Sky Wines, Borthwick Estate, Butterworth Estate, Cambridge Road Vineyard, Colombo Martinborough, NgaPari, Fairmont Estate, Gladstone Vineyard, Huntress, Johner Estate, Le Gra Winery, Lynfer Estate, Matahiwi Estate, Schubert Wines and Urlar.

The food at the event will be catered by Korky’s Catering, Kiwi Kai Catering, Colombo Martinborough, Caveman BBQ, Clareville Bakery, Brac & Bow, Balter Bar, Le Gra Winery, and Levitate Coffee.

The Wairarapa Wines Harvest Festival at The Cliffs Riverside Reserve on 17 February 2024 with gates open at 11 a.m. 

Tickets $69 per person from:

https://wairarapaharvestfestival.co.nz/