vinessense marlborough

My husband and I, along with four of our friends from the U.S., visited VinEssense in January 2014. Mike welcomed us and gave us a lovely personal tour, as well as an informative talk about the vineyard and winery. He was open to all questions we had, and it was obvious that he truly loves what he is doing. The wines we tasted were delightful, and one of the couples bought a case to ship back home; the rest of us bought several bottles to drink before returning home! I was enchanted by the Kevin Judd photos on display in the tasting room and ordered a large one to be shipped; I am now enjoying it immensely in my home as it reminds me of a very special place in the Marborough region of New Zealand.

We visited VinEssence in February, 2014 and had the pleasure of meeting Mike Eaton. You could tell that Mike is very passionate about not only the end product...the wine, but also about the growing process. He explained the whole process of planting and caring for the grapes...his manual labor. We tasted the wines and shipped some back to the states. We wish we could be there for the harvesting of his grapes. At least we are on his mailing list and look forward to staying in touch, even from afar. Well worth a visit!

Mike Eaton was very welcoming and extremely informative about anything we wanted to know about his and others wines and the area.Having had the opportunity to taste the grapes off the wines we then enjoyed a tasting of several excellent wines, accompanied by related comments from Mike.An excellent place and person to visit and we would recommend it be included on anyone's tour of the Marlborough wine area.

My husband and I visited VinEssence in February. We visited many other vineyards in Marlborough but this is special and personal experience for tasting.The vineyard is located on a rise with a spectacularly beautiful view.When we arrived there, the owner Mike welcomed us and showed grapes in vineyard and explained to us at length and with great passion how he grows his organic grapes. He has great passion and knowledge for wine making.I tasted two different boutique wines.Especially I love Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir from Odyssey and I bought them!It was a wonderful time to talk and share with Mike about wine. A very personal touch.Much fan and great memorable experience here more than business type of winery.

Mike Eaton was welcoming, warm and informative. He took us out into the vineyards and gave us wine making overview and even let us taste the grapes. We then went in and tasted two boutique wines he is marketing until his own wines become available. The wines we tasted were delicious and Mike did a wonderful job in presenting them. He was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the art of producing great wines. It was a delightful experience that we highly recommend.Paul B

Spent some time at this vineyard with Mike and had the most wonderful time. Mike has a great passion for wine making and took us through the art of his profession.The wine we sampled was great even bought some olive oil aswell.Well worth a visit.

Mike Eaton's approach to the wine experience differs from the usual cellar door experience. His location is tucked away from the main centre and, for now, his focus is on two boutique wines from the Churton and Odyssey vineyards. This will change once his own wines become available. Passion is almost an understatement for the unbridled joy Mike demonstrates. One is taken to his vines for an up close and personal discussion of his beliefs methods regarding wine. Not surprisingly they mimic those in France where Mike had major experience. His mission is to produce the best, especially in the Pinot Noir arena. His sense of humour is great and we abandoned further wine tasting after own visit as Mike represented the pinnacle. We shall order once we return as he offers a great door-to-door service.

In January, we travelled to New Zealand with two other couples. We had planned the trip for several months working with a travel agency in Indianapolis, Indiana. They did a terrific job of finding places to stay and visit that were unique and not necessarily geared to an American tourist. The country is beautiful and that beauty is only matched by the wonderful people of New Zealand. Of course, one of the highlights was a tour of the Marlborough wine country and a stop at VinEssense. The wine was terrific. Mike, the owner, shared with us his passion for the land and the vines. Can't wait to sample what we ordered and remember a marvelous visit.

Mike knows the business of developing vineyards, applying Burgundian techniques and getting the most out of the terroir. He has access to boutique vineyard wines

A trip to vin essence will enhance your trip around the Marlborough wine region and is a must if you want to experience the industry from the perspective of a smaller more specialised producer. Can't wait to taste what we shipped!

A pleasure to share our enthusiasm for wine and Marlborough with you. I hope one day we get to taste your fine wines in Nappa

Thanks very much for the kind words. We enjoy sharing our experience and knowledge with people. We like to create an experience that people can take home with good memories and hopefully a few souvenir bottles of wine being sent Door to Door.We will be adding our own wine from the 2014 vintage as we have fruit from our own Eaton Family Vineyard. We will continue to offer Churton and Odyssey Wines as they are producers who share our love of quality focused organic production from great hillside sites. This gives guest a great snapshot of some of the top boutique wineries that would otherwise be missed.Thanks for your visit and we look forward to hearing how you enjoy the wines.best regardsMike and Jo Eaton

Thanks Jean-Jacques I hope you found what you were looking for in Marlborough. I am happy to make the tastings a good experience for everyone and also teach something about the vineyard, winemaking and our region. Merci

Thank you so much. We enjoy sharing our experience and our local wines with people from all over the world. I hope you enjoy the case of "souvenirs" you sent home. Our thanks for coming and visitingMike and Jo

Thanks very much. We hope we can send people on to visit other wineries with a greater appreciation for Marlborough and also to experience some of the best organic hillside Pinot Noir in Marlborough. We look forward to your next visit, if you bring friends, your next tasting is on us.Mike and Jo