Events you have to experience......

Wellington has many events for it's residents and visitors to enjoy and experience every year. One of my favourites is the Toast Martinborough Wine, Music and Food Festival. Toast Martinborough is the annual showcase for the quality wines produced in the region.Each vineyard features culinary delights from selected Wellington and Wairarapa restaurants, along with some of New Zealand's best live entertainment. Wineries that will feature include Ata Rangi Estate , Craggy Range and Palliser Estate. There will be a train travelling to the festival and tickets can be purchased either at Wellington Railway Station or onboard. The Toast Martinborough Wine, Music and Food Festival is on Sunday 19 November 2006.Tickets will be on sale from Wednesday 11 October.They can be purchased through Ticketmaster on 0800 111 999 or online at www.ticketmaster.co.nz.Further information can be found at www.toastmartinborough.co.nz Every year since I have lived in Wellington, I have always made my way to the Marlborough region of our beautiful South Island to experience some of the award winning wines from our best wine region. Marlborough, New Zealand's premier wine region and the international home of Sauvignon Blanc, hosts the most successful wine festival in the country.The Wine Marlborough Festival is New Zealand's premier wine and food experience. Held at the prestigious Montana Brancott Winery on the outskirts of picturesque Blenheim, the festival is held over 3 days, giving you the opportunity to sample and even purchase many of the wines on show during the festival. You may want to take up the opportunity to meet some of Marlborough's leading winemakers and viticulturists during wine tutorials and discover the culinary secrets of the many guest chefs.Over 200 wines will be on show from over 40 wineries in the Marlborough region.Sample Marlborough's finest wines and gourmet cuisine, stunning local produce including freshly smoked Salmon matched with a Sauvignon Blanc, scallops with a tempting Reisling, greenshell mussels matched with a stunning Chardonnay, whitebait with Pinot Gris, wild game matched with a gorgeous Pinot Noir, crayfish matched with a delicious Champagne, cheeses with a Cabernet, olive oils and more. An exciting wine and food experience from the country's largest winegrowing region, the festival promises to have something for everyone, with fantastic entertainment from New Zealand's best including Salmonella Dub and more.Past performers have included Goldenhorse, The Black Seeds, and The Beat Girls. If you prefer to spend a weekend in Marlborough to take in the many amazing attractions it has to offer while visiting the Wine Marlborough Festival, you can always stay in one of the many accommodation options available.The best way to get to the festival is on either the Interislander or Bluebridge ferries or fly down on either Air New Zealand or Sounds Air.If travelling from the South, you can also get the TranzCoastal train from Christchurch. The Wine Marlborough Festival will be held Friday 9 February - Sunday 11 February 2007 at the Montana Brancott Estate Winery, Brancott Road, Blenheim, Marlborough. Tickets for the festival are $35 per person.Tickets for the wine tutorials are $15 per person.Tickets will be on sale from Monday 23 October 2006 from Ticketmaster or The Marlborough Centre. Check out www.wine-marlborough-festival.co.nz or www.destinationmarlborough.com for more information.