Discover Wine Country in New Zealand
Mudbrick Winery
Wine Down in New Zealand
Walking off the plane into a January summer confirmed we had landed in the Southern Hemisphere. It is no easy feat traveling halfway around the world but after months of planning we were giddy just to have arrived. My husband and I were finally fulfilling our dream and starting a five week, 2500 mile self-guided driving tour of the magnificent country of New Zealand (NZ).
To explore the North and South islands of New Zealand is to experience parts of British Columbia, California, Hawaii and Scotland all in one trip. The list is long for what you can see and do in one country. When it comes to describing its captivating landscape there are not enough adoring adjectives. The soaring mountain ranges many with snowcapped peaks, the skyscraper-high waterfalls and the lakes the color of the Caribbean Sea left us breathless. Forever imprinted on our minds were the five feet tall ferns populating the rainforest floor, the thousands of miles of rugged coastline peppered with gorgeous beaches, and the slow receding glaciers. Amidst spectacular sightings of dusky dolphins, yellow-eyed penguins and sperm whales during the day, it was the eye-popping night sky that would dazzle us to sleep with its endless sprawl of glittering jewels and constellations.
And then there is the cherished New Zealand wine country, amazing viticultural regions on both islands that are near and dear to oenophiles like us. With so much to write about on a country like NZ, the wine country often gets overlooked by travel writers. One would think that with over 1000 miles of wine regions and approximately five hundred wineries nationwide, we would hear about and see more of their wine in our own country. Unfortunately, usually the most we can hope for in wine shops and restaurants is NZ’s number one exported wine, Sauvignon Blanc. However, there are many more excellent wines made in NZ, typically in smaller quantities, but the well kept secret is the Kiwis save this yummy stuff for themselves.
NZ is a food and wine lovers playground and supports its own industry of farmers and the wine country is at the center of this. The wine regions are easily accessible from most major cities, but in case time does not allow you to visit all of the regions, just know they are well represented on the menus of local restaurants and cafes. Here are some standouts straight from our travel journal:
NORTH ISLAND
Waiheke Island
Surrounded by the crystalline waters of the Hauraki Gulf, Waiheke Island has a seductive vibe amongst rolling hills, wide sand beaches, swaying palm trees and layers of subtropical bush. Escapees from the North Island’s biggest city of Auckland and travelers-in-the-know take the 40 minute ferry ride to seek its sunny and relaxed atmosphere, sweet and buttery oysters, and sensational wines. With a nickname of “Wine Island” and twenty winery tasting venues, aka “cellar doors,” you can keep quite busy sipping your way around Waiheke’s 36 square miles.The mineral rich and volcanic terroir produce a bevy of outstanding grape varietals like Syrah, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Petit Verdot, Montepulciano and Bordeaux.
You’ll find mostly small batch producers on the island, but if you want to go big, stop in at Tantalus, a maker of both beer and wine. With a fancy lunch spot and tasting lounge, they challenge the traditional with their crisp style chardonnay uniquely made via the concrete egg method. The Italian family wine maker, Podere Crisci, is sure to bring Italy to mind with its old world style wines, Peroni beer on tap and bocce ball out back. Most visitors opt to spend time here relaxing over an al fresco lunch in their garden hemmed in by pretty gardens of olive and Italian cypress trees. If your palette is craving oysters just plucked from the sea, then Kennedy Point Winery’s stunning views and Pinot Gris will suit. Or step into France with a Provençal style rosé at the cellar door of Frenchman Hill Estate.
With so many wineries on the island, a wine tour is a good option to sit back, relax and sip. For self-guided tours, electric bike rentals by E-Bike Waiheke offer an energetic way to get some exercise, take in the scenery and find cellar doors along the way.
Hawke Bay (previously called Hawke’s Bay)
Founded in 1851, Hawke Bay on the North Island is New Zealand’s oldest wine producing region and now the second largest with 90+ wineries. Marked by a long, warm growing season with plenty of hot, sunny days and cool ocean breezes, it is a vigneron’s, and oenophile’s, paradise.
The region is blanketed with revered cellar doors and equally outstanding winery-owned restaurants set in pretty gardens or overlooking lengths of manicured vines. The famous sub-region called Gimblett Gravels is known for its Bordeaux style reds and Syrah, while other notable varietals include Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Rosé and a bevy of aromatic whites. A visit to Church Road Winery will show what one winery’s vines can do with an outstanding portfolio to include Blanc de Blanc bubbles, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and a Cabernet that will imprint upon your palette forever. Sipping the award-winning La Phant Rouge by Elephant Hill over a sublime lunch on a hot day stirs the senses to the point you’ll want to send home a case. NZ’s first winery, the historic Mission Estate, makes an old vine Semillon worth tasting, and a relaxing lunch here will make a lasting impression.
Getting there: fly from any of NZ’s major cities to the art-deco city of Napier
SOUTH ISLAND
Marlborough
If you are familiar with one of NZ’s wine regions, Marlborough is likely it since it produces two-thirds of the country’s wine and exports most of it including to the US. Located in the Northeast corner of the South Island, over 200 vineyards cover the region with the majority outputting world-class Sauvignon Blanc, as well as outstanding Pinot Noir, Rosé, Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, and even Gewürztraminer. Thirty cellar doors offer daily wine flights including the “big box” estate, Brancott, producing around four million cases a year and one of our favorites and the most awarded winery in NZ, the intimate Villa Maria. Nautilus Estate, known for it’s refreshing, fruit forward Albariño, is a stop to put on your tour. With so many cellar doors grouped closely together along the venerable “Golden Mile” it is easy to navigate a comprehensive tour over just a couple of days. We prefer the easy going self-guided bicycle tour with Wine Tours by Bike. Lunch options are plentiful with multi-course lazy dining experiences at local favorites like Wairau River or Allan Scott. As an alternative, arrange a picnic “hamper” from BV Gourmet in Blenheim to pair with a luscious bottle of chilled bubbles from No. 1 Family Estate. And definitely have lunch or a snack at Cloudy Bay matched with a cool bottle of Sauvignon Blanc with sweet and succulent Cloudy Bay clams from Marlborough’s shores.
Getting there: arrive in Picton via ferry or fly from any of NZ’s major cities to Blenheim
Waipara Valley, also known as North Canterbury
This wine growing region is one to watch. Located less than an hour from Christchurch, it is fast growing with serious vintner talent at the helm. Originally planted in 1978 and producing 3% of the NZ wine yield, you will now find more than 25 boutique wineries here. The vines in this area respond well to the hot summer sun and cooler nights enabling makers to grow dry Resiling, pinot noir and chardonnay. Favorite tasting rooms include Pegasus Bay (called “Outstanding” by Robert Parker’s Guide), Black Estate, Waipara Hills and Greystone Winery.
Getting there: tours originate out of Christchurch.
Central Otago
We “wine down” our trip in Queenstown, a diamond on the South Island, which sits on the edge of the eye-popping Lake Wakitipu surrounded by The Remarkables, a dramatic snowcapped mountain chain. The Central Otago region with six grape growing subregions is NZ’s highest elevation wine area and the world’s southernmost. Not even a week spent here allows enough time to visit all of the tasting rooms. We took five days to explore just the famous sub-region called Gibbston Valley, a.k.a Valley of the Vines, known for its legendary pinot noir with deep layers of well-rounded character and complexity challenging even the best New World pinots found in the US. Surprisingly clean varietals like chardonnay and dry Riesling are also produced here and contribute 30% of the region’s total wine production. Prize-winning small batch producers like Chard Farm, Amisfield Winery & Bistro, Peregrine, Gibbston Valley Winery, Brennan and newcomer Wet Jacket are fan favorites.
Getting there: tours originate out of Queenstown
What to Know Before You Go
Most cellar doors do not require a reservation unless you are a large group, otherwise they are generally open seven days a week from 11-6. Some tastings are free while most cost $5-10 NZ, however, the fee is waived if you buy at least a bottle, which you will find yourself doing frequently.
