Foley Wines opens The Runholder
Foley Wines is opening its new cellar door dining destination, The Runholder, as home to its wineries Te Kairanga and Martinborough Vineyard, and the Lighthouse Gin distillery.
Situated on the Te Kairanga vineyard, the new venue overlooks the Martinborough Terrace and is a restaurant, tasting room, cellar door, distillery, and barrel hall. It has three internal dining areas seating over 100 diners in spaces that span casual to intimate, alongside an outdoor terrace.
The Runholder will be the largest cellar door restaurant in Martinborough and will launch in stages from August.
Tasting Room at The Runholder (photo by Sam Cameron Photography)
Headed by chef Tim Smith, the former executive chef at luxury lodge Wharekauhau, The Runholder’s menus are described as “a celebration of the Wairarapa region’s produce”.
The drinks list features an extensive catalogue of Te Kairanga and Martinborough Vineyard wines by the glass and bottle, including cellar and rare wines such as Te Kairanga’s very limited WPF Pinot Noir and limited-edition barrel aged editions of Lighthouse Gin.
From the tasting room, Lighthouse Gin’s new state-of-the-art 700-litre German CARL still is visible through floor-length windows, with the distillery and bottling room on the south side of the complex.
“We know the strength of the Mt Difficulty brand draws wine lovers to Central Otago, and Te Kairanga, Martinborough Vineyard and Lighthouse Gin together at The Runholder have the strength to do this for Martinborough too,” says Foley Wines CEO Mark Turnbull.
The Foley Wines portfolio includes Martinborough Vineyard, Te Kairanga, Grove Mill, Vavasour, Mt Difficulty and Lighthouse Gin.
Dining at The Runholder (photo by Sam Cameron Photography)
South Wairarapa Mayor, Martin Connelly, sees The Runholder as a welcome addition to the area’s flourishing tourism industry. “This is a very substantial investment and displays an abundance of confidence in both the wine growing capabilities in Martinborough and in the district as a favourite tourist destination,” he says.
“The Runholder is establishing itself at a really advantageous moment and I have no doubt the many people who visit Martinborough will be adding it to their itinerary.”
