After a leisurely start we headed off in the car for a wine tasting at Milton's vineyard , about ten miles outside of Gisborne. We drove across the plain and just into the foothills to a vineyard which is both organic and biodynamic. It is the only certified organic vineyard in New Zealand and the tasting room was very like many French wine tasting rooms we have visited. We tasted some really excellent wines surrounded by French wine barrels and pictures of St Emilion. The young guy who did the tasting was excellent and we tasted five wines. The cream of the crop was a Pinot Noir which was for sale at sixty dollars a bottle , approximately thirty pounds. Needless to say, we did not purchase any as the tour manager felt that it was a little expensive.
After the tasting we went for a short drive in the area around Gisborne which was very interesting. The area around the town is basically a flat plain which apart from grapes grows many different vegetables. On the way home we stopped at some friends of Andy and Sally's for a coffee and then we went home for lunch.
The afternoon was whiled away reading the papers chatting and generally relaxing. In the evening another friend, Judy, turned up for dinner and we enjoyed a couple of bottles of wine and some lively conversation.