The goal is to immerse myself in their world via a superlative experience at The Shack, a highly exclusive and luxurious self-contained private villa-style guesthouse that sits right in the heart of the working vineyard.
Helene Ravlich explores The Shack, a luxurious villa at Cloudy Bay’s vineyard in Blenheim.
Hidden down a gravel drive behind wild hedgerows and with its gloriously angled exterior designed to make an immediate impression, The Shack is perfectly situated to throw myself into all of the above.
Located mere steps from the cellar door and onsite restaurant, SAKU, the residence was the work of designer Tim Greer, of Sydney-based Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects, and sits beautifully within the environment while making a proclamation in style all its own.
Waiting for me in the sprawling living room is a charcuterie board with a bottle of the winery’s Pelorus sparkling wine ready to be uncorked.
Designed by Tim Greer, the villa blends modern style with Marlborough’s calm.
A hanging, rotating wood fireplace takes the chill out of the southern air, while floor-to-ceiling glass brings the vineyard in.
My host is Swafka Podgorska-Ryan, customer co-ordinator at the vineyard, who tells me it was the considerable charms of Pelorus sparkling that first attracted historic French Champagne house Veuve Clicquot to Cloudy Bay.
Here they met with founder David Hohnen and officially invested in the New Zealand winery in 1990.
Crafted in the classic methode traditionnelle, Pelorus is an award winner for multiple reasons, celebrated for its crisp, elegant, and creamy complexity and the perfect way to kick off a fabulous weekend.
The Shack offers exclusive stays with stunning views, emphasising a luxurious and immersive wine-country escape.
Next on the agenda is a First Taste Tour of the winery’s Delta and Mustang vineyards in Dave, a classic Land Rover Defender 110 driven by Lavinia Kalberer.
Forty-odd years in the New Zealand wine industry, and eight as a host at Cloudy Bay’s Cellar Door, makes Kalberer the perfect guide as we hurtle across the landscape.
A photo op standing atop Dave is encouraged, as is a glass of Pelorus Rosé to seal the deal.
In what I now know to be true Cloudy Bay fashion, this special moment is followed by a Tailor Made Tasting with Podgorska-Ryan in the Blending Room, where my palate was tested, challenged and titillated by a plethora of the winery’s most famous drops.
The experience includes private dining, vineyard tours, and tastings of Cloudy Bay’s renowned wines.
A few free hours followed, which was a great opportunity to get out into the fresh Blenheim air and explore the vineyards and kitchen gardens in front of The Shack on foot.
The sound of native birdsong was near-deafening and pure joy to this city dweller’s ears.
Then at sunset, it was time to return to the warmth of the living room and simply relax, the absence of a television making the moment all the sweeter.
Part of the Cloudy Bay Shack experience is private dining, so it was time to get off the couch and rotate the fireplace towards the dining table.
Private chef Sander De Wildt had arrived in our absence to get the process underway, an incredible multiple course epicurean extravaganza, including snapper fillet and homemade sourdough bread, paired with – you guessed it – Cloudy Bay’s finest.
Previously in the wine industry before committing to the kitchen, Dutch-born chef De Wildt’s approach to each pairing was considered and pretty near flawless, and the only thing left to do afterwards was roll upstairs to bed.
Here, all four queen-sized suites share an elevated outlook from the retreat’s second floor, guaranteeing views across the vineyards to the Richmond Ranges and beyond.
Each comes with a private balcony, plush duvets to sink into and in three of the four ensuites, a window-facing tub ideally positioned to watch the sunset.
Large enough to retire to at any time of day if you’re travelling with a group and need a little quiet time, all four are completely unique but share an attention to detail that is evident at every touch point.
The Shack packages come with multiple private experiences that cater to almost every whim, like sailing trips around the Sounds when the weather permits, and helicopter tours across the vineyards.
Come Sunday morning, my treat was a visit with Podgorska-Ryan to the local Blenheim Farmers Market, which is held at the local A&P showgrounds and delivers many tasty delights.
The place sits among Cloudy Bay’s vines, steps from its cellar door and SAKU.
From black garlic and artisan cheeses to fresh berries at a quarter of the price of my local supermarket, my will had to be as strong as my locally roasted coffee, not to drag an extra bag filled with goodies back to Auckland the next day.
Despite the pastries on offer being insanely tempting, I knew I was heading back to Cloudy Bay for lunch at SAKU.
The Japanese restaurant is adjacent to the Cellar Door in a building dubbed ‘The Treehouse’, due to its second-floor position surrounded by eucalypts.
Chef Kojiro Kataoka from SAKU’s sister restaurant, Sasa in Blenheim, was on hand to create an incredible lunch of fresh sushi and sashimi to be paired (naturally) with Cloudy Bay wines.
The view demanded that we linger, and also the opportunity to enjoy an extra glass of chardonnay from the Mustang vineyard, chosen after Kalberer’s expert intel during my tour of the vineyard in Dave.
SAKU opens for limited hours over winter, but come spring will undoubtedly be buzzing, the menu a perfect match for enjoying Cloudy Bay wines oriented towards the very vines that put its famous sauvignon blanc on the world map.
While its position within a working vineyard delivers a nod to Cloudy Bay’s origins, the considerable touch of its owners as of 2003 – LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) – has taken a trip to the winery to an unabashedly premium level.
This is most powerfully illustrated when staying at The Shack, which after several years as a bolthole for VIPs of the house, is now available to be booked for what must be one of Marlborough’s most exclusive stays.
Almost a beautifully curated immersion into the world of Cloudy Bay, The Shack is not just a place to hang your hat while travelling in wine country, but an introduction to a slower, more luxurious way of life. It’s one I’ll never forget.
The writer travelled courtesy of Cloudy Bay.
Dining and Cooking