For a weekend escape or some last minute school holiday fun.
If you want to stay local there are plenty of vineyards in Auckland for first class cellar door experiences as well as world class dining and Waiheke is just a boat ride away. For July, Sealink Ferry Services are offering free travel for kids, making a family trip to the beautiful Hauraki Gulf Island even more affordable. The Hunting Lodge in Waimauku is one of our favourites and once you are there you feel a world away. The beautiful North West region of Auckland has a number of cellar doors you might like to stop at. Our wine writer Phil Parker says it’s hard to go past Soljans, one of the first family vineyards you reach once you get off the motorway; this is soon followed by Kumeu River, Villa Maria and Coopers Creek.
If you don’t want to go it alone a guided tour is the way to go. Phil offers bespoke wine tours through a range of Auckland’s wine regions and Bush and Beach Managing Director, Ben Thornton, agrees guided tours are definitely the way to go. “Our guides know the rich history of wine making in the area so not only do you get driven around you can try the wines and also find out what makes the area so unique,” says Ben.
Outside of Auckland the choices are incredible, and Phil has shared some tips on what some of the award winning wine regions have to offer.
Waiheke
When you catch a ferry to Waiheke you feel like you have left city life behind. With an abundance of boutique vineyards, incredible restaurants and a wonderful climate, it’s the perfect place for an easy weekend getaway or midweek escape. Over the last twelve months many of the leading vineyards have undergone major renovations and developments offering visitors even more than ever before.
Man O’ War Vineyards has a new restaurant right on the beach, complementing its beachfront cellar door experience and providing wine tastings enhanced by its beautiful location. Passage Rock, a vineyard becoming well known for its award winning syrah wines, also has a new cafe nestled within its vines. The dishes on it’s menu are matched perfectly to the wine list and with a child and dog friendly atmosphere it’s easy to sit back, relax and sip syrah. Phil recommends trying the reserve syrah 2015 and 2019 if you get the opportunity.
With a huge roaring open fire for guests to gather around, the new restaurant at Wild Estate is the perfect spot for tasting wines on cooler afternoons. Also known for their great reds Wild Estate welcomes the whole family, including the dog. It has massive playground area for kids to swing, climb and have fun, while parents taste wines and sample foods knowing the whole family is enjoying themselves.
The island prides itself on offering a broad selection of quality accommodation options. For families or larger groups the Onetangi Beach apartments are a great choice, right on the beach and close to the very popular Charlie Farley’s restaurant. For a romantic getaway Mudbrick’s luxurious onsite villas are perfect and Cable Bay Vineyards are offering the ultimate indulgent escape with a special winter wine, dine, and stay packages.
There is a Ponsonby connection on the Waiheke dining scene too.For anyone who enjoyed Dominique Parat’s GPK and loved MeKong Baby, checking out the restaurateur’s new venture Ki M-aha restaurant is a must. The new restaurant is right on Onetangi beach and features its own wine label and a menu that is sure to delight. Waiheke is also the home to the Metro’s best new restaurant and best destination restaurant Three Seven Two, so after a day of wine tasting (we recommend a personalised tour with Phil Parker) you have an incredible range of places to dine.
With accommodation still available during the July break, free travel on Sealink for the kids, and a range of special family packages, Waiheke might just be the perfect midweek escape for these school holidays or any weekend this winter. Christina Hyde, chair of the Waiheke Island Tourism Forum recommends checking out the new Waiheke. World website, it has all the latest packages and special offers available on the island.
Tai Rawhiti / Gisborne
It’s the first place in the world to see the sunrise each day and with an exceptional climate, any season is a good time to visit the unspoiled beaches and flourishing vineyards of this region. “You discover
New Zealand in a whole new light,” says Mel Ma’afu Sinoti of Tai Rawhiti Tourism.
It’s a place steeped in culture and history and is home to some of the country’s best chardonnays. “Matawhero’s, Irwin Chardonnay is an excellent example of the areas chardonnays,” says Phil who also suggests people try the Milton chenin blanc. “Milton is a pioneer in organic biodynamic wine production. It’s New Zealand’s first organic vineyard and their chenin blancs are a must to try,” says Phil.
Gisborne also hosts the First Light Wine and Food Festival, the region’s premier wine and food event. On Sunday 25 October 2020 visitors will be transported around three stunning venues, Matawhero, TW Wines and Bridge Estate to enjoy some of Gisborne’s best wines and food producers under the stunning Tai Rawhiti sun. Tickets are available now at: www.facebook.com/firstlightwineandfood
Martinborough
In just over an hour from landing at Wellington airport you can be amongst a village of boutique wineries in Martinborough, a wine region fast becoming one of the country’s premier food and wine destinations. Phil Parker recommends visitors include visits to Ata Rangi, Coney, Margrain, Martinborough Vineyard, Palliser, Stratford, and Te Kairanga when planning tasting tours. “From a region famous for its great pinot noir wines you have to make sure you try Coney Wines, Pizzicato Pinot 2018, if you can,” says Phil.
Cycling the vines is the ‘must-do’ activity in Martinborough. “It’s New Zealand’s answer to the Barossa Valley and Burgundy, (and no need to board an international flight to get there either). It’s a wine village tailor-made for pedal-power”, says Walt Dickson of Destination Wairarapa. It’s easy to cycle from vineyard to vineyard as the roads are all wide and flat as you cycle past olive groves, farms with colonial cottages or grand homesteads.
As well as wines and fine foods the South Wairarapa has a number of boutique gin distilleries offering tastings either at the distilleries or at partner vineyards in the area. There’s great shopping in historic Greytown just 15 minutes drive away and the region offers something for the whole family with incredible sights just a short drive away. “Cape Palliser is simply spectacular, says Walt Dickson. It’s the southernmost point of the North Island and on the way you pass the Putangirua Pinnacles, amazing rock formations that inspired filmmaker Peter Jackson during the shooting of “The Return of the King”.
There is also Stonehenge Aotearoa, based on the ancient Stonehenge monument in Wiltshire. This modern version creates an open air observatory for visitors to learn about the cycles of nature and movements of celestial bodies via the stars. With plenty of accommodation options you will easily find somewhere welcoming to stay. There is Brackenridge Country Retreat and Spa, perfect for families and for charm and style you can’t go past the Martinborough Hotel on the Town Square. A stunning historical colonial building, the Martinborough Hotel like the White Swan in Greytown (one of the oldest pubs in New Zealand) is full of nostalgia and history.
Waipara
The Waipara Valley in the Hurunui region on the east coast of the South Island is just 45 minutes north of Christchurch and offers the ideal climate for grape growing. Phil Parker is a definite fan. “It’s a charming, romantic and laid-back region, definitely one of my favourite places on earth”, says Phil. Unlike Martinborough, there is no real village centre to Waipara – just a tiny convenience store, a church and a railway station. But with the alpine resort of Hanmer Springs so close by there is no shortage of places to stay.
Hanmer Springs is the perfect base from which to visit vineyards and enjoy the panoramic vistas of the Hurunui region. Whether it is for a romantic getaway or a family adventure, there is something for everyone. From soaking in an alpine thermal pool to hiking with a llama, or going high octane with river rafting and mountain biking, it is a place where you can enjoy the winter outdoors at your own pace. As of writing we are told there is still accommodation available for the July school holidays.
Check out www.visithurunui.co.nz for all the options.
According to Phil, you can’t go to Waipara and not visit Pegasus Bay and one wine Phil recommends you try (if you get a chance) is the Pegasus Bay Prima Donna pinot noir which he describes as exceptional. Another ‘must do’ suggestion is a visit to Greystone Wines. “It’s a certified organic and biodynamic vineyard and their chardonnay, pinot gris and syrah wines are simply stunning,” says Phil. “Main Divide, Muddy Water, Alan McCorkindale, and Waipara Hills, are a spirited cluster of progressive thinking wine producers that are definite places to visit too.”