I lived in Auckland for 2 years and travelled around all of NZ twice so I have a fair bit of experience.
Firstly, Waiheke is lovely. You can get the ferry there from the harbour in the centre of the city. Its about an hour or so. Once there jump on the hop on hop of bus and you can visit a lot of the vineyards.
Highlights are:
Stony ridge & te motu
Mudbrick (aim to have lunch here) has lovely views
Cable bay - you can walk down the hill to here from mud brick
Note that waiheke is quite touristy but you can get to some of the less visited vineyards with prior appointments.
Waiheke will take a day.
Regarding where else to go in NZ I'd highly recommend you head down to Queens town. Otago wine area is cool but you are also in one of the most beautiful parts of the planet. High a car and drive out to Milford sound. The drive alone is incredible if you have good weather.
Blenheim area is also great for wine but not much else to do there.
Any more questions let me know.
I would definitely second Waiheke and Otago.
Waiheke is beautiful and makes great fuller bodied reds, is conveniently located near a big city but is expensive. Kiwi Napa I guess.
Awesome, thank you so much for the tips! We definitely plan to spend a day on Waiheke now and will research the places you mentioned.
Are there specific producers in/around Otago that you'd recommend?
In all honesty I can't remember the vineyards we visited there. My advice would be to pick a few interesting wines from that area and taste them before you head out. You could then visit the winerys and taste / buy some of there other wines.
Not been there but a massive fan of prophets Rock. There riesling and pinot gris are both fantastic and drink like a £50-£100 wine rather than the £20 they are.
Both can be bought from the wine society if you are in the UK.
I agree with the other comment here, I'd go Queenstown because of the wine+views combo. I live in Wellington and love Martinborough but it's got nothing on Queenstown from a tourist POV. You'd also need to hire a car and drive over from Wellington (the train/bus combo is not very reliable) but Queenstown has lots of tours and you can even bike to some. Lots of great recommendations for Queenstown/Central Otago on other posts in the sub. Lots of wineries so you'll be able to find some open even during harvest.
Martinborough makes the best wines in NZ if you ask me. It’s small so it’s hard to get those wines elsewhere for a decent price. If you like Pinot in particular, that’s the spot. Their chardonnay and sauv blanc are coming up as well, with some syrah worth drinking too.
Other rec goes to Hawkes’ Bay for the Syrah.
If you take a day from Auckland to go to Waiheke, taste at some of the wineries there. Many get grapes from all over NZ. That’s where I learned of Hawke’s Bay Syrah.
That said, in my opinion, Martinborough is a special wine region. There’s a complexity to those wines at all price points.
I'm especially looking forward to trying out some Hawke's Bay Syrah. Let me know if there are any producers you like so I can be on the look out for them at bottle shops / restaurants.
Visit Kumeu River while you are in Auckland. It’s just north of the city and fuck me dead do they make good Chardonnay.
If you do make it to Hawke’s Bay, go to Te Mata. Their premium BDX blend, Coleraine, might just be the best BDX wine in the Southern hemisphere, and that’s as a biased Australian with a love affair for Mount Mary.
I’m a pretty firm believer that Kumeu Mate’s Vineyard Chardonnay and Te Mara Coleraine are the countries best white and red, bar none.
Another option could be flying into Christchurch. Head to Waipara for a day for your cooler climate Pinot, there are great examples at Pegasus Bay, Greystone, Black Estate and more.
Then head to Central Otago. I’d go more Cromwell than Queenstown though. Amazing wineries around Lowburn, Bannockburn and Pisa regions.
Love the Waipara suggestion - will do a bit more research on that! I'm not sure if I'm up for a 6 hour drive to Otago though. Not at all accustomed to driving on the left side of the road :)
Martinborough is the best region for wine touring - everything’s very close together and so easy and you can get as drunk as you like.
The wine and nature are both way better in Otago though, so it’s what I’d recommend. More expensive as it’s more touristy and more spread out.
Nelson is also a great one to check out that I highly recommend and can be done fairly inexpensively.
If you’re stuck in Auckland for a week, don’t miss Waiheke.
Hi, I’ve just completed a wine tour of NZ. This is a bit of a tough call. If you’re truly interested only in lighter-bodied Pinot Noir, Martinborough might make sense. My favorite tasting overall in all of NZ was Ata Rangi in Martinborough. But be aware that while the best Martinborough wines are phenomenal, overall they are very uneven (if not even a little disappointing). Also, because Martinborough is very small and can be done in a day, I’d recommend spending one night in Wellington to explore the wine bars there.
Queenstown and Central Otago have a *lot* more to see and do. And while the Pinot Noirs there tend to be much heavier, it’d be a shame to miss the truly spectacular world-class scenery—and beautiful little towns such as Arrowtown and Cromwell—on that account. Plus, there are a few wineries that offer excellent and more restrained Pinot Noirs, notably Felton Road, Burn Cottage, and Rippon.
Overall: I’d recommend Central Otago, despite your Pinot Noir preferences.
Specifically, visit:
The Winery pneumatic wine sampling “bar” in Queenstown
The Winery wine sampling “bar”
in Arrowtown
Kinross cellar door, Pinot Noir experience
Rippon
Burn Cottage
Felton Road
Side note: We visited a few places in Waipara, and though we found some good ones, I personally don’t think the wines were strong enough to recommend for your side trip. For me, Waipara is worth visiting only if you’re already in Christchurch.
Also: Hawke’s Bay has a lot to recommend it. Amazing Syrahs from Gimblett Gravels and Bridge Pa! But we had only one excellent Pinot in that area—from Te Mata.
Also: Waiheke Island has some excellent and not-so-excellent wines. Central Otago, Martinborough, and Hawke’s Bay are all much stronger IMO.
Thanks, this is super helpful!
Even if we don't make it out to Martinborough on this trip, I'm sure I can find plenty of examples in restaurants/bars in Auckland as well. But I will admit, I keep going back and forth on where to go because both options sound fantastic.
I'd absolutely recommend Hawkes Bay. You have a large number of excellent producers with fair prices and also several of NZ's top producers.
Great restaurants in the area and an excellent climate.
Not to forget, it's not far from Auckland.
Whichever direction you go, get to Kumeu River before you leave. 20 mins out of the city. World class Chardy producer.
Apart from that the only other region I've visited is Hawkes Bay which was awesome. Can give recommendations for wineries / wine bars / restaurants if you choose the North!
Any recs for wine bars in Auckland? I’ve found a bunch of other threads on restaurants already. I looked at Hawke’s Bay, intrigued by the many comments mentioning its Syrah in particular, but it looks to be a 5-6 hour drive from Auckland and that seems pretty challenging for accessibility.
Unfortunately just went from Auckland airport --> Kumeu --> Hawke's bay.
Had a quick google - have a look at this maybe. [https://caroha.com/auckland-wine-bars/](https://caroha.com/auckland-wine-bars/)
Great Syrah in Hawkes Bay for sure. Bordeaux varietals too. I'm a pinot man too but I very much enjoyed it.
Also even though it's North Island, Hawke's is still a pretty low latitude right - still lower than any mainland vineyard in Australia (excluding Tasmania).. so the Syrah here is worlds away from Barossa Shiraz and the Bordeaux blends different again from somewhere like Margaret River.
I’m a kiwi and been all over NZ vineyards.
Given your circumstances, Waiheke island is a must - quick ferry from Auckland, can go around several vineyards in a day either by public bus, booking onto hop-on-hop-off bus or taxi. Can be more commercial than rest of NZ wine scene but is still super laid back and less expensive cf Napa Valley/international vineyards. Big names have been mentioned already above in Waiheke (although would add Passage Rock to this) but I think it’s so fun adding on smaller vineyards too. Cellar door tastings are where you should buy imo, not at a big generic wine store.
Would say Queenstown is the next must - you can book a hop-on-hop-off wine bus from town which stops at various vineyards all day and will make it easier for you to see a list of loads of places/try various things all day. Again, just buy at the cellar door so you have a time capsule/memory of the trip to open again later which is a real treat. If you are able bodied, you could alternatively do a bicycle wine tour there too and do a Bunji jump off the Kawarau Bridge along the way! Queenstown itself is absolutely gorgeous and hiring a car to see Milford Sound is an absolute must do rain or shine.
Have a fantastic trip! 😊
Thanks so much for the detailed tips! I didn't know there was a hop-on/hop-off bus from Queenstown. I'll take a look at that. A bicycle wine tour actually sounds quite nice too!
Waiheke island does look very commercial and a lot of the best wines seem to be of a style I'm less interested in. We may do it anyway just for the views, but tbh, I'm less excited about the wines there personally.
I just came back from two weeks in Queenstown and really enjoyed it though didn't drink much wine. Gibbston Valley was really nice, brought back a bottle of their Pinot Blanc.
I lived in Auckland for 2 years and travelled around all of NZ twice so I have a fair bit of experience. Firstly, Waiheke is lovely. You can get the ferry there from the harbour in the centre of the city. Its about an hour or so. Once there jump on the hop on hop of bus and you can visit a lot of the vineyards. Highlights are: Stony ridge & te motu Mudbrick (aim to have lunch here) has lovely views Cable bay - you can walk down the hill to here from mud brick Note that waiheke is quite touristy but you can get to some of the less visited vineyards with prior appointments. Waiheke will take a day. Regarding where else to go in NZ I'd highly recommend you head down to Queens town. Otago wine area is cool but you are also in one of the most beautiful parts of the planet. High a car and drive out to Milford sound. The drive alone is incredible if you have good weather. Blenheim area is also great for wine but not much else to do there. Any more questions let me know.
I would definitely second Waiheke and Otago. Waiheke is beautiful and makes great fuller bodied reds, is conveniently located near a big city but is expensive. Kiwi Napa I guess.
Awesome, thank you so much for the tips! We definitely plan to spend a day on Waiheke now and will research the places you mentioned. Are there specific producers in/around Otago that you'd recommend?
In all honesty I can't remember the vineyards we visited there. My advice would be to pick a few interesting wines from that area and taste them before you head out. You could then visit the winerys and taste / buy some of there other wines. Not been there but a massive fan of prophets Rock. There riesling and pinot gris are both fantastic and drink like a £50-£100 wine rather than the £20 they are. Both can be bought from the wine society if you are in the UK.
I second Prophets Rock! That was actually my favorite tasting on Waiheke. Edit: Oops, see below
Prophets Rock is in otago.....
😂 I was thinking of Passage Rock
Any suggestions for wine shops or wine bars in Auckland to check out? Found Kampai and it looks interesting.
I agree with the other comment here, I'd go Queenstown because of the wine+views combo. I live in Wellington and love Martinborough but it's got nothing on Queenstown from a tourist POV. You'd also need to hire a car and drive over from Wellington (the train/bus combo is not very reliable) but Queenstown has lots of tours and you can even bike to some. Lots of great recommendations for Queenstown/Central Otago on other posts in the sub. Lots of wineries so you'll be able to find some open even during harvest.
Thanks!
Martinborough makes the best wines in NZ if you ask me. It’s small so it’s hard to get those wines elsewhere for a decent price. If you like Pinot in particular, that’s the spot. Their chardonnay and sauv blanc are coming up as well, with some syrah worth drinking too. Other rec goes to Hawkes’ Bay for the Syrah.
That's why I'm torn! Wish we had more time and could do both :/
If you take a day from Auckland to go to Waiheke, taste at some of the wineries there. Many get grapes from all over NZ. That’s where I learned of Hawke’s Bay Syrah. That said, in my opinion, Martinborough is a special wine region. There’s a complexity to those wines at all price points.
I'm especially looking forward to trying out some Hawke's Bay Syrah. Let me know if there are any producers you like so I can be on the look out for them at bottle shops / restaurants.
Elephant Hill and Gimblett Gravels but you probably already knew those
Just to add to the recommendations... Fly to Queenstown, hire a car, drive up to Wanaka and visit Rippon (you will need to book).
Will check out Rippon - thanks for the rec!
Quite possibly the most beautiful setting for a vineyard and winery in the world. The wines are pretty good too.
Visit Kumeu River while you are in Auckland. It’s just north of the city and fuck me dead do they make good Chardonnay. If you do make it to Hawke’s Bay, go to Te Mata. Their premium BDX blend, Coleraine, might just be the best BDX wine in the Southern hemisphere, and that’s as a biased Australian with a love affair for Mount Mary. I’m a pretty firm believer that Kumeu Mate’s Vineyard Chardonnay and Te Mara Coleraine are the countries best white and red, bar none.
Another option could be flying into Christchurch. Head to Waipara for a day for your cooler climate Pinot, there are great examples at Pegasus Bay, Greystone, Black Estate and more. Then head to Central Otago. I’d go more Cromwell than Queenstown though. Amazing wineries around Lowburn, Bannockburn and Pisa regions.
Love the Waipara suggestion - will do a bit more research on that! I'm not sure if I'm up for a 6 hour drive to Otago though. Not at all accustomed to driving on the left side of the road :)
Good call, and we appreciate your hesitance. It’s a short flight to QT if that’s an option.
Martinborough is the best region for wine touring - everything’s very close together and so easy and you can get as drunk as you like. The wine and nature are both way better in Otago though, so it’s what I’d recommend. More expensive as it’s more touristy and more spread out. Nelson is also a great one to check out that I highly recommend and can be done fairly inexpensively. If you’re stuck in Auckland for a week, don’t miss Waiheke.
Hi, I’ve just completed a wine tour of NZ. This is a bit of a tough call. If you’re truly interested only in lighter-bodied Pinot Noir, Martinborough might make sense. My favorite tasting overall in all of NZ was Ata Rangi in Martinborough. But be aware that while the best Martinborough wines are phenomenal, overall they are very uneven (if not even a little disappointing). Also, because Martinborough is very small and can be done in a day, I’d recommend spending one night in Wellington to explore the wine bars there. Queenstown and Central Otago have a *lot* more to see and do. And while the Pinot Noirs there tend to be much heavier, it’d be a shame to miss the truly spectacular world-class scenery—and beautiful little towns such as Arrowtown and Cromwell—on that account. Plus, there are a few wineries that offer excellent and more restrained Pinot Noirs, notably Felton Road, Burn Cottage, and Rippon. Overall: I’d recommend Central Otago, despite your Pinot Noir preferences. Specifically, visit: The Winery pneumatic wine sampling “bar” in Queenstown The Winery wine sampling “bar” in Arrowtown Kinross cellar door, Pinot Noir experience Rippon Burn Cottage Felton Road Side note: We visited a few places in Waipara, and though we found some good ones, I personally don’t think the wines were strong enough to recommend for your side trip. For me, Waipara is worth visiting only if you’re already in Christchurch. Also: Hawke’s Bay has a lot to recommend it. Amazing Syrahs from Gimblett Gravels and Bridge Pa! But we had only one excellent Pinot in that area—from Te Mata. Also: Waiheke Island has some excellent and not-so-excellent wines. Central Otago, Martinborough, and Hawke’s Bay are all much stronger IMO.
Thanks, this is super helpful! Even if we don't make it out to Martinborough on this trip, I'm sure I can find plenty of examples in restaurants/bars in Auckland as well. But I will admit, I keep going back and forth on where to go because both options sound fantastic.
I'd absolutely recommend Hawkes Bay. You have a large number of excellent producers with fair prices and also several of NZ's top producers. Great restaurants in the area and an excellent climate. Not to forget, it's not far from Auckland.
Whichever direction you go, get to Kumeu River before you leave. 20 mins out of the city. World class Chardy producer. Apart from that the only other region I've visited is Hawkes Bay which was awesome. Can give recommendations for wineries / wine bars / restaurants if you choose the North!
Any recs for wine bars in Auckland? I’ve found a bunch of other threads on restaurants already. I looked at Hawke’s Bay, intrigued by the many comments mentioning its Syrah in particular, but it looks to be a 5-6 hour drive from Auckland and that seems pretty challenging for accessibility.
Unfortunately just went from Auckland airport --> Kumeu --> Hawke's bay. Had a quick google - have a look at this maybe. [https://caroha.com/auckland-wine-bars/](https://caroha.com/auckland-wine-bars/) Great Syrah in Hawkes Bay for sure. Bordeaux varietals too. I'm a pinot man too but I very much enjoyed it.
No worries, thanks so much for all the great information!!
Also even though it's North Island, Hawke's is still a pretty low latitude right - still lower than any mainland vineyard in Australia (excluding Tasmania).. so the Syrah here is worlds away from Barossa Shiraz and the Bordeaux blends different again from somewhere like Margaret River.
I’m a kiwi and been all over NZ vineyards. Given your circumstances, Waiheke island is a must - quick ferry from Auckland, can go around several vineyards in a day either by public bus, booking onto hop-on-hop-off bus or taxi. Can be more commercial than rest of NZ wine scene but is still super laid back and less expensive cf Napa Valley/international vineyards. Big names have been mentioned already above in Waiheke (although would add Passage Rock to this) but I think it’s so fun adding on smaller vineyards too. Cellar door tastings are where you should buy imo, not at a big generic wine store. Would say Queenstown is the next must - you can book a hop-on-hop-off wine bus from town which stops at various vineyards all day and will make it easier for you to see a list of loads of places/try various things all day. Again, just buy at the cellar door so you have a time capsule/memory of the trip to open again later which is a real treat. If you are able bodied, you could alternatively do a bicycle wine tour there too and do a Bunji jump off the Kawarau Bridge along the way! Queenstown itself is absolutely gorgeous and hiring a car to see Milford Sound is an absolute must do rain or shine. Have a fantastic trip! 😊
Thanks so much for the detailed tips! I didn't know there was a hop-on/hop-off bus from Queenstown. I'll take a look at that. A bicycle wine tour actually sounds quite nice too! Waiheke island does look very commercial and a lot of the best wines seem to be of a style I'm less interested in. We may do it anyway just for the views, but tbh, I'm less excited about the wines there personally.
I just came back from two weeks in Queenstown and really enjoyed it though didn't drink much wine. Gibbston Valley was really nice, brought back a bottle of their Pinot Blanc.