Wine Travel in New Zealand’s North Island.

Puriri Hills vines

Accessible by ferry from downtown Auckland, the once homely and rustic Waiheke island is now a millionaires' retreat and home to several premium wine producers, most notably for Syrah, and Bordeaux Blends, but with numerous other gems including Chardonnay. Top producers include Destiny Bay whose flagship Magna Praemia retails for an eyewatering NZ$780 bottle, Tantalus Estate, Stonyridge and Man O’War. Man’O War have a great outdoor lunch setting and run a bus to and from the Estate making this one of the most straight-forward visits logistically. The Valhalla Chardonnay, Dreadnought Syrah and Ironclad Bordeaux blends are all worth trying and reasonably priced, but don’t neglect to try the Exiled Pinot Gris. To book a tasting, lunch and transport from the Waiheke ferry terminal go here. Or if you don’t mind using taxis or have rented a car on the island, book a tour of Stonyridge with a vertical of their highly collectible Larose Bordeaux blend here.  

Family lunch at Man O’War

Northland

Any visit to New Zealand in the warmer months must include travelling north of Auckland to the Bay of Islands ((about a 3 hour drive), heart and centre of New Zealand’s oldest winegrowing region, with a warm, humid climate and early-ripening, full-bodied wines. Key climatic features are the relatively high heat units of the sub-tropical climate and maritime influence with none of the small boutique vineyards in the surrounding regions of Northland far from the sea. The region is also home to some relative viticultural curiosities.

On the way, just out of curiosity, you might stop at Longview Estate on State Highway One, Otaika, ten minutes south of Whangarei. The cellar door is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm and you can just drop in. The Reserve Chardonnay and Gumdiggers Port are worth a try, but you probably won’t get to try their main claim to fame. This is a very sweet dessert wine made from the Vitis Labrusca White Diamond grape which now retails for $998 bottle (cf $30 bottle just over a decade ago) and is mostly exported to China.

The Landing in the Bay of Islands offers a range of upmarket experiences – you can stay in one of their luxury residence,  or book a wine tasting or wine tasting and lunch experience here, including the cellar door lunch which includes transport from Russell, Waitangi or Paihia to the Landing’s private jetty on their own boat. The best wines include Chardonnay, Syrah and Pinot Gris.

The Landing Vines overlooking Rangihoua Bay

You can travel from the Bay of Islands to Kaitaia on the West Coast in 90 minutes to discover an interesting lineup of wines from one of the pioneers of the Northland wine renaissance Monty Knight of Okahu Estate. You’ll need to call (+64 274358388) or email to make an appointment and he’s only open Saturday and Sunday from 12noon to 5pm, but in addition to some decent Syrah, he produces a thoroughly drinkable Chambourcin ( a French hybrid of indeterminate origin) and an eminently quaffable Flora (a rare cross between Semillon and Gewurtraminer).

Gisborne.

If you are just visiting Gisborne for the wines your best bet is to fly direct from Auckland and rent a car when you get there. But in the summer, driving the scenic coastal route passing through Tauranga, Whakatane and East Cape is well worthwhile if you have time. The “must visit” is NZ’s oldest organic and biodynamic Millton Vineyards & Winery and you’ll need to make an appointment - contact or call +6468628680. Arguably  Zealand’s best Chenin Blanc and some outstanding Chardonnay, Viognier and Syrah.

Matawhero Vines in “first to see the sun” Tairawhiti, Gisborne

Matawhero Vineyard is also highly recommended, make an appointment for a premium wine tasting experience here. The flagship Irwin Chardonnay is exceptional, their Church House Chenin Blanc and Malbec Merlot are also very good.

Hawkes Bay

If you’ve driven to Rotorua and then Taupo, skipping the East Coast region from Tauranga to Gisborne, then you can either continue south to Wellington or take the Taupo-Napier Highway to the second most important wine region in New Zealand by volume. You can also fly direct from Auckland to Napier-Hastings airport and rent a car from there. Or from Gisborne, just drive south for 3 hours. 

Hawkes Bay has 5 main sub regions of which perhaps the most famous is Gimblett Gravels with free draining, low fertility alluvial gravels producing structured age-worthy Bordeaux blends and spicy elegant Syrah. Right next to the Gravels is the Bridge Pa region which has red metal gravels and clay loams, slightly cooler than Gimblett and producing great Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay and Viognier. Further south you come to the town of Havelock North and the Havelock Hills with varied soils and microclimates producing fine Chardonnay, and from warmer slopes Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Te Awanga coast produces refined Syrah and coastal expressions of Chardonnay. Inland river valleys and Central Hawkes Bay with their cooler microclimates have Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and more mineral styles of Chardonnay along with other aromatic whites including Gruner Veltliner.

Most of the bigger estates have holdings across a few of these sub-regions regardless of where their winery and cellar door is located. One of the largest, the Havelock Hills located Craggy Range, and well worth a visit, has extensive plantings in the Wairarapa on Te Muna Road out of Martinborough.

To do Hawkes Bay wines justice you will need at least three or four days, but here are some of my favourites. Not too far from the airport, in Taradale is the iconic Church Road Estate which offers a range of tasting experiences including their flagship TOM Chardonnay, Syrah and Bordeaux blend. Bookings are essential. You could also stop for lunch here, or alternatively do that at the close by Mission Estate.

Inside the Church Road Tasting and Dining Complex

Located in the Gimblett Gravels is the iconic cellar door of Trinity Hill producing excellent Chardonnay, Syrah, Bordeaux Blends along with Viognier and Marsanne, with the flagship Homage Syrah considered a benchmark for the variety. It’s on a cycle track with a number of other local wineries so hiring a bike to get around the region on a fine day would make for a good time. It’s open 7 days a week from 11am to 5pm and bookings are highly recommended.

Barrels and Tanks at Elephant Hill

You could make a great day out with visits to three wineries in Havelock and Te Awanga. There are many options but I’d suggest starting out at Elephant Hill in Te Awanga at 11am with a guided tasting of their superb terroir driven expressions of Viognier, Chardonnay, Syrah and Bordeaux blends. Bookings are essential.

The Elephant at Elephant Hill

Next up Craggy Range nestled under Te Mata Peak in the Havelock Hills. You could go to their Award winning restaurant for lunch or stay at Elephant Hill which also has a great restaurant before heading to Craggy Range for a tasting. I’d recommend booking the Giants Estate Experience which will take two hours and guide you through a seated tasting of their top wines. “Light bites” are included so if you had a big breakfast before Elephant Hill you might manage on this without lunch. This is available at 1.30pm in summer, and at 4pm.

To round out your day, head to the Smith & Sheth Oenotheque right in the heart of Havelock North town, open Tuesday to Saturday from noon to 9pm. Here you can enjoy a tasting flight across three wine brands encompassing Hawkes Bay as well as Canterbury and Central Otago while enjoying food from a range of small sharing plates. If you happen to pick Wednesday there is live music from 5pm as well. In the Smith & Sheth range look out for the Omahu Syrah, Howell Chardonnay, and the Cabernet Franc in particular! To book see here.

Wairarapa

Although the entire Wairarapa wine region only accounts for 3% of NZ’s wine production, it ranks high in value. If you’ve been in Hawkes Bay it will take just under 3 hours before you reach Opaki just to the north of Masterton. If you left in the morning you might be ready for some lunch and a wine tasting at Le Gra, a small boutique wine producer on Loopline Road  with very tasty platters. More information and booking here.

After lunch, drive through Masterton, turn left onto East Taratahi Road and continue straight to Urlar vineyard on Dakins Road for a five wine tasting of great local wines which you can select from a list of more than a dozen. If you skipped Le Gra because you arrived in Masterton before noon, then go for lunch here as well. Open from 11am to 4pm Friday to Sunday only. Bookings essential.

You’ll need a full day in Martinborough. Home of distinctive savoury, age-worthy Pinot Noirs and some excellent Chardonnay, you can get around the wineries on the Martinborough Terrace by bicycle (even by foot if you enjoy walking) but you will need a car to get out to Te Muna Road.

Here’s two suggestions for a great day. If you are going to be entirely on foot or bicycle:  Book the 90-minute elevated wine tasting and tour at Palliser Estate for 10am, which includes a tour of the winery and barrel hall with some barrel tasting before completing the tasting of some excellent wines in the underground cellar.

Tour customer Lana barrel tasting with Belen, Palliser Sommelier

When you’re finished at Palliser head to Nga Waka next door for lunch on the best gourmet pizza in Wairarapa and taste your preferred selection from the available wines. I highly recommend you include both Chardonnays! Book your lunch table here.

If you only visited one winery in Martinborough it should be Ata Rangi! In our one day plan you’ll book the Guided Tasting for 2pm. Ata Rangi is one of the original four pioneering wineries established in Martinborough in the early ‘80s and is still in family ownership. Winemaker Helen Masters has been making wine at Ata Rangi for more than 20 years and in 2019 was Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year. Her wines grace the tables of some of the world’s top restaurants. The Ata Rangi Pinot Noir, Masters Chardonnay and red blend Celebre are all outstanding!

Tour customers and I at the Ata Rangi Guided Tasting

After the guided tasting at Ata Rangi you’ll have time for one more visit and just down the road you will find Poppies where you can enjoy a stand-up tasting at the cellar door bar, open till 4pm seven days, bookings not required. This is particularly not to be missed if you like the wines of Alsace – Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Riesling.

If you have either a car or a driver, then plan the day a little differently. Begin with a visit to Escarpment Winery on Te Muna Road which you can book for 11am Monday – Thursday or at 10-am on Friday and Saturday. Escarpment was founded in 1999 by another Martinborough pioneer Larry McKenna sometimes known as the “Prince of Pinot”. Escarpment produces a range of wines – don’t miss the Pinot Blanc if available! But its reputation is based primarily on four single vineyard Pinot Noirs. In 2019 Escarpment was sold to the highly respected Barossa Valley producer Torbreck, and the wines are now made by Tim Bourne following Larry’s retirement.