Yealands vineyard tour app launches

Marlborough winery Yealands Estate is offering fans the chance to tour their vineyards through a new app – the first of its kind in New Zealand.

The Yealands Estate White Road Tour app allows users to take a 40 minute tour of the 7.5km Seaview Vineyard, the single largest privately owned vineyard in New Zealand.

Highlights include seeing the babydoll sheep and other animals used to help in the vineyards, as part of Yealands’ efforts in sustainable winemaking practises.

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Users can also see where solar panels play music to the vines. The estate said that studies have shown plant tendrils respond to different wavelengths in music.

‘Our intention with this app is to enhance our visitors’ overall experience by engaging with them as they go on their own personal tour,’ said Peter Yealands, founder of Yealands Wine Group.

‘It allows users to go at their own pace and focus on their particular interests, be it our breath-taking views of the Cook Strait or many of the sustainable farm practices that we implement.’

Wineries worldwide are ofng more ‘virtual’ tours of vineyards; in July 2015, a selection of California wineries starting offering tours through Google Street View.

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Yealands Estate White Road Tour app is available worldwide through the Apple Store and Google Play, and is in seven different languages.

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Ellie Douglas is digital editor at Decanter.

She has worked at Decanter since 2013, when she joined as editorial assistant, then moving to the web team as assistant web editor in 2015.

Over her years at Decanter, Ellie has helped to significantly grow Decanter’s social media presence and with the launch of Decanter Premium in 2017.

She holds her WSET Level three in Wine, and in 2018 was shortlisted for PPA Digital Content Champion of the Year.