Marlborough Vineyard Trail officially opened

A bike trail taking in some of Marlborough’s most popular wineries, cellar doors and spectacular scenery, is up and running.

Mayor Nadine Taylor officially opened the 20km Marlborough Vineyard Trail last week.

“This is a wonderful addition to the recreational biking network in Marlborough and gives fantastic access to wineries around Renwick,” she said.

Mayor Taylor said the trail boosted the existing cycle infrastructure and improved safety by taking cyclists off busy roads.

She acknowledged those who had worked hard to see the project to fruition, particularly Steve Hill, chairman of the Renwick Walk Bike group, who had championed the cause to ensure the trail became a reality.

Mayor Taylor also thanked vineyard owners who granted easements though their properties along with contractors and volunteers.

Steve Hill said there were 20 cellar doors within an eight-kilometre radius of Renwick and 10,000 bike visitors each year.

“Visiting the cellar doors by bike – either self-guided or on an organised trip – is incredibly popular in the area and having this trail fully operational will hopefully boost those numbers,” he said.

While some of the trail is near roads, much is on the edge of vineyards and on river stopbanks and its development has only been possible with the help of landowners and wineries.

One of the final sections was a 6.5km trail linking Allan Scott Winery in Jacksons Road to Renwick using off-road routes.

Council has invested significantly in the trail which was only possible due to the backing of landowners.

Caption: Mayor Nadine Taylor and Steve Hill, chair of the Renwick Walk Bike group, at the opening of the new Marlborough Vineyard Trail