A new cellar door dining destination for wineries Te Kairanga, Martinborough Vineyard, and the Lighthouse Gin distillery is set to open in Wairarapa.
The Runholder, owned by Foley Wines, is a restaurant, tasting room, cellar door, distillery, and barrel hall space that is nestled on a run of land at Te Kairanga vineyard, a plot originally held by Martinborough’s pioneering namesake John Martin.
It will be the largest cellar door restaurant in Martinborough, celebrating local produce from the farm, vine, and beyond.
Designed by Christchurch’s Nott Architects, the dual-level complex invokes the rural landscape and history of the community and its name is an ode to the run of land the building now sits on, originally home to sheep and now to vines.
Guests to The Runholder are welcomed through the tasting room, featuring an extensive catalogue of Te Kairanga and Martinborough Vineyard wines, and Lighthouse Gin.
Through floor-length windows from the tasting room, Lighthouse Gin’s new state-of-the-art German CARL still draws interest into the distillery and bottling room on the south side of the complex. The 700 litre still will enable head distiller Rachel Hall to fulfil international demand.
“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.
“This epitomises Bill Foley’s commitment to supporting growth in the Wairarapa. The Runholder offers locals and visitors something different – the chance to sit back and discover the breadth and quality of wines and produce from the region all under one roof.”
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