Marlborough is one of New Zealand's sunniest and driest regions, and its Māori name says so: Kei puta te Wairau, the place with the hole in the cloud. Most days suit a wine tour. But the weather still shapes your day, and when you weigh up Marlborough Wine tickets, it tells you how to dress and which kind of day to book.
Rain rarely stops a tasting. The cellar doors pour under a roof, and the vans are closed. What the weather changes is the time you spend outside: a walk in the rows, a bike ride, an afternoon on the water.
The bike days feel it most. If it rains, the guided bike day switches to a driving wine tour for the morning at no extra cost. The self-guided days leave the call to you.
The wine-and-cruise day's afternoon cruise depends on the weather, and several tours say they need good weather to run. If one is cancelled for weather, you are offered another date or a full refund.
Warm days and cool nights are Marlborough's pattern. Wine Marlborough puts the summer gap between day and night at around 11 degrees. So even in January, bring a warm top for the evening. The figures below are NIWA's 1991-2020 normals for Blenheim.
Highs average 23.4 °C and lows 12.9 °C. About 43 mm of rain falls, on 5 days, with 262 hours of sun. The sunniest month. Ride the bike trail in the morning and taste under a roof in the afternoon.
Highs average 23.3 °C and lows 12.5 °C. About 45 mm of rain falls, on 4 days, with 233 hours of sun. The record high, 37.8 °C, was set in February. The festival once held this month is on hold.
Highs average 21.5 °C and lows 10.7 °C. About 39 mm of rain falls, on 5 days, with 233 hours of sun. Harvest begins, and the picking crews are out in the rows. The sparkling-wine harvest closes around the final Friday of March.
Highs average 18.8 °C and lows 8.2 °C. About 54 mm of rain falls, on 6 days, with 190 hours of sun. Vintage month for Pinot Noir. Nights cool quickly, so bring a warm layer for the drive home.
Highs average 16.6 °C and lows 5.9 °C. About 57 mm of rain falls, on 7 days, with 179 hours of sun. SauvBlancDay falls on the first Friday. The afternoon tour's pickups move 30 minutes earlier.
Highs average 13.9 °C and lows 3.6 °C. About 69 mm of rain falls, on 8 days, with 152 hours of sun. The wettest month, and the one with the least sun. Some tasting rooms close for the winter.
Highs average 13.3 °C and lows 2.9 °C. About 64 mm of rain falls, on 7 days, with 160 hours of sun. The coldest month, with nights close to freezing. The wine-and-cruise day ran twice a week in winter 2026.
Highs average 14.4 °C and lows 4.0 °C. About 58 mm of rain falls, on 8 days, with 189 hours of sun. Still winter, but the sun climbs back. Check which cellar doors are open before a day on your own.
Highs average 16.3 °C and lows 6.2 °C. About 54 mm of rain falls, on 7 days, with 199 hours of sun. Spring, and the vines wake up. The earlier winter pickups still apply until October ends.
Highs average 18.4 °C and lows 7.9 °C. About 57 mm of rain falls, on 7 days, with 233 hours of sun. The last month of the earlier winter pickups. The long, bright days of the bike season begin.
Highs average 19.9 °C and lows 9.6 °C. About 49 mm of rain falls, on 6 days, with 243 hours of sun. Flowering starts late in the month. It is one of the best months for a day on a bike.
Highs average 21.8 °C and lows 11.8 °C. About 50 mm of rain falls, on 6 days, with 248 hours of sun. Summer, and nearly 250 hours of sun. The full day from Picton collects you at 9.15am.
| Season | Average highs | Rain days | Hours of sun | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | 22-23 °C | About 15 | About 744 | Bike days and long full days |
| Autumn | 17-22 °C | About 18 | About 603 | Harvest in the rows |
| Winter | 13-14 °C | About 22 | About 501 | A van day; some tasting rooms close |
| Spring | 16-20 °C | About 21 | About 674 | New leaves; quieter cellar doors |
Summer and early autumn are the easy choice. Highs sit above 20 °C from December to March, and rain falls on only four or five days a month. Wine Marlborough counts 2,513 hours of sun and 635 mm of rain in an average year.
Winter is not wet by most standards, but it is grey and cold by Marlborough's. June and July have the least sun, and some tasting rooms close. The season-by-season detail, with the harvest and the events, is on the best time to visit.
On a summer bike day, ride early. The bikes go out from 9.30am, and the first cellar doors come before the heat of the day. Save the afternoon for tastings indoors.
On a van day, the choice is a morning tour or an afternoon one. Morning tours have you in the vines while the air is fresh. Afternoon tours start around 12.30pm and end in the early evening, when the light on the hills is soft. In winter, take the afternoon: the pickups come 30 minutes earlier, and the mornings are the coldest part of the day.
Whichever you choose, pack sunscreen and a hat. The sun is strong here, even when the air is cool. Compare the rides on Marlborough bike wine tours.
The monthly figures are NIWA's 1991-2020 normals for Blenheim, as tabulated in Wikipedia's climate table for the town. The yearly totals and the day-night range are Wine Marlborough's, and the weather rules are each tour's own.
Six hours from central Blenheim or the i-SITE at about 9.45am, or central Picton from 9.30am: cellar doors with the tastings in the fare, a walk in the vines, and a winery lunch stop at your own cost.
From $127 per person
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Six hours from your Blenheim accommodation, in time for a 10am first pour: four cellar doors, a vineyard walk, a winery lunch at your own cost, and the Makana chocolate factory to finish.
From $159 per person
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Three to four hours from your Picton accommodation, or from the i-SITE if you come in by ferry or train: three or four wineries with a local driver-guide. Eat lunch before you set off.
From $107 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: choose a season on the best time to visit, plan the day on the visitor guide, or compare every tour on Marlborough Wine Tours.