Greenlip Mussel Farm & Wine Tour

A fantastic wine and food experience in a beautiful part of Marlborough.

The New Zealand Greenshell mussel aquaculture industry produces over 140,000 tonnes annually and in 2009 was valued in excess of $250 million $NZ. New Zealand Greenshell mussel cultivation began in the 1970s and has since undergone massive expansion, with production growth of 708% from 1988. Initial farms were based on the 700-year-old European floating raft method of mussel cultivation which was suitable at small scales, however, methods to support a larger scale production were needed. An adaption of the Japanese longline shellfish aquaculture system led to the methods used today for commercial Greenshell aquaculture.

Cruise out into the Marlborough Sounds and take in the natural beauty and tranquility of this stunning area.  Your experienced skipper has a wealth of knowledge about the Marlborough Sounds and the people who live here.  His informative commentary will keep you entertained as you cruise through the inner Pelorus Sound and into the Kenepuru Sound, a truly unique area, distinctively different from the Queen Charlotte Sound that most visitors get to see while traveling on the Interisland Ferry. Cruise through a Greenshell Mussel farm where your skipper will explain why this delicacy grows so well in the Sounds.  See the Mussels growing on longlines in the clean waters and learn how the mussel farmers get the mussels to grow on the ropes.

While at the mussel farm you will get to try the freshest steamed mussels, served with a glass of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc!

New Zealand Web Design by Avatar