"The Toast was one of the most different festivals I've ever been to. It's much more than a regional wine festival...

Martinborough Toast is a wine and food festival in the Wairarapa region in a small town called Martinborough, well known for its wineries. The festival only takes place one Sunday a year in November.

This year was the 25th anniversary of the event, so there were a few new features. One of them that could really be a hit was the magnetic bracelet, i.e. you load your bracelet with X amount of money and it becomes your card during the party. The system is easy, simple and fast, with no queues, no delays and no chance of losing money. They give you your money back at the end of the event if you haven't used it all and you can top it up whenever you need to.

9 wineries were taking part and at each one there was a tent of famous Wellington restaurants with mouth-watering menus! In addition, there was a bus every 2 minutes organized by the festival to take you from one winery to another, so there was no overcrowding, there was always plenty of space to sit down even if it was on the grass or between the grape plantations.

At each winery there were wines produced at the winery itself, a Wellington restaurant's tent with a special menu for the event and a stage with live music and at each winery a different type of music.

Now to the prices. Admission to the festival is $88 per person plus $27 for the shuttle bus that drops you off close to home, and here I'll open a parenthesis to say how much the New Zealanders care. well so there are no drunks at the wheel. The food varied in price, for example, a hamburger was $10, there was a dish that was $15, but it's worth it, everything was wonderful. A glass of wine was $8/$9, half a glass $5. At the end of the day, it's a bit steep, especially if you go there like me: with an eye on the food... but it's well worth it.

So, if you're thinking of coming to New Zealand in November, think seriously about going to this festival, as it's a unique experience, but there's just one problem: if the day isn't sunny, it won't be the same. So I would advise anyone who is here to buy a ticket a few days in advance to be sure of what the weather will be like on the day of the event. Otherwise, everything is great!

Big kiss,

Cha ❥