Brief History

Martinborough was founded by John Martin, an Irish immigrant. He purchased farmland and from this he developed 593 town sections with the first of these being sold in 1879. He planned the street layout in the form of the Union Jack and the streets are named after places he visited during a world tour in 1875 - such names as New York, Cologne, Strasbourg, Venice, Suez. The towns economy was based on traditional sheep farming with some dairying, from original settlement until the 1970s. Since the planting of grapevines commercially in the the late 1970s the economy of Martinborough and the surrounding region has become considerably more diversified. Martinborough has become internationally recognised for its Pinot Noir especially and its other award winning wines such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc & Reisling.

Leisure Activities

Martinborough is approximately one hours drive from Wellington, and the town and surrounding area offer many activities besides its vineyards and wine tasting. Some of those activities include - trout & sea fishing, canoeing, kayaking, jetboating, horse trekking, glowworm caves, 4 WD quadbikes, Cape Palliser lighthouse & furseal colony, Mt Bruce Wildlife Centre, hotair ballooning, 18 hole golfcourse, tennis courts, claybird shooting, antique, art & craft shops.