We chose their Explore the Plains tour and highly recommend it.

Pick-up is available from local accommodation so you can have a totally driving free day. Our tour lasted almost 6 hours and in that time we visited and tasted wines from Te Mania Estate, Richmond Plains, Rimu Grove, Seifried Estate and Stafford Lane. We also called in at the Grape Escape to taste liqueurs, wines, chutneys, olive oils etc. Lunch was at Seifried Estate - beautiful place with a lovely restaurant. Throughout the day, our guide Roy regaled us with information on the wines, the growers, the area and everything else - he knows his stuff and was a mine of information. Everyone we met was friendly and happy to answer questions - they were also very generous with their samplings - which isn't always the case (apologies for the pun).

This was a great excursion - good company, informative and if anything, they underestimated just how much you will drink during the tour - or was that just us :))) so don't attempt to drive afterwards!!

Reviewed over 3 years ago and experienced in November 2009

We took the Groovy Day Out tour, and had a delightful afternoon wine, liqueur and beer tasting.

Marion was our guide and the words passion, fun and enthusiastic could not be a better description! She knows her stuff. We visited Richmond Plains to sample organic wines, had a fairly extensive and informative wine tasting at Seifrieds followed by time for a sit down lunch. Afterwards we visited Redwood cellars and were free to sample any of the fruit wines, ciders and liqueurs on offer. The tour ended at a local brewery where we sampled many of the local brews including a few seasonal and festive tastes. Bay Tours offers other wine and sightseeing tours, and I would not hesitate to recommend them if you are looking for a fun and informative experience in the Nelson region.

Reviewed over 3 years ago and experienced in September 2010

Marion was an excellent guide - bright and cheery and very well informed about all the wines we tasted.

First stop was at Waimea, one of the larger Nelson wineries, where a tasting plate of many delicious goodies helped the wine go down a treat. Then it was on to Grape Encounter for tastings from two small (what we’d probably call ‘boutique’) vineyards, Te Mania and the organic Richmond Plains. This was also a good place to sample some other delicacies – olive oils, dukkah, liqueur syrups, fudge – and we’re looking forward to eating the goodies we bought there. Next stop was at Stafford Lane, another small winery with a particularly good sauvignon blanc. But in fact all the wines we tasted (and there were very many indeed) were excellent. With everyone by now in a pretty chirpy mood our last call was at the Tasman Brewing Company, a local micro brewery which produces loads of different beers. Baytours put on an excellent wine tasting tour and at $75 really good value considering all the food and drink we consumed.

Reviewed over 3 years ago and experienced in April 2008

Half day gourmet wine tour.

First two stops were not nice (didn't have much to do with wine rather than tacky art), good lunch, you get to drink lots of wine, last two wineries were really nice, great atmosphere and nice wine (family owned business), guide a bit stiff.

Reviewed over 3 years ago and experienced in February 2010