We recently had the opportunity to explore the wine regions around Auckland, NZ. Waiheke Island, a short ferry ride from Auckland (which itself is a short flight from Melbourne), is one not to be missed! Waiheke’s history in wine can be traced all the way back to the 1950s, but its modern history really begins in the 1980s, when several now prominent families began planting vines around the island. Bordeaux style Cabernet blends were the go back then, and while these can still be found aplenty, today Waiheke offers much more, most notably, Syrah and Montepulciano. We loved Waiheke’s wines! While more potent than what most Aussies will expect when speaking of NZ wines, Waiheke’s wines are above all graceful. Plenty of texture, tannin, and flavour, but always with poise.
Notably, great wines are just one of the reasons to visit Waiheke’s cellar doors. The views and nature of the place as you drive up and down soft hills is just stunning. Here a vineyard, there a sweeping ocean vista, further still an island … it’s a scene from a dream. And the service of the place! We can’t recall the last time we went to an otherwise tourist-oriented place and received such consistently impeccable service throughout. Our hats off to the wine-lovers staffing this islands awesome cellar doors!
Of course, we could not get to every winery on Waiheke in one day, but we gave it our best 😊 Below are the best we found. If you need a drive to check these out, we can highly recommend Glenn from “Island Magic“. (Reminder, to stay up to date on all of our wine adventures, like us at: Facebook.com/winehuntersaus )
* Mudbrick Vineyard & Restaurant, one of the island’s “can’t miss” stops for sure, offers it all. Stunning views, great ambience, great service, and glorious wines. We rarely write about Pinot Gris, but Mudbrick’s take on this varietal with their 2019 Reserve is a show-stopper. So deliciously rich and smooth – would never guess it was so young.
* Te Motu – Vineyard Restaurant & Cellar Door offers a quaint cellar door set amongst the vineyards of the rolling hills. Te Motu was a pioneer of the Waiheke wine region, and its heritage is immediately apparent in its stunning Bordeaux blends. The Kokoro is an extremely rewarding wine. Restrained boysenberry and blueberry flavours delivered with a wide body and perfect texture. Yum!
* Obsidian Vineyard – if you could go to only one stop, and wine alone was your driving factor, Obsidian must be the place. Each wine somehow (how?) is better than the last across an incredible line-up that features Syrah, Montepulciano, and the stratospheric Reserve Obsidian blend. Amazingly enough, Obsidian also offers some of the most attractive prices you’ll find on the island.
* Casita Miro Restaurant is our top recommendation for lunch! Who wouldn’t want to dine in such a lavish affair, inspired (we assume) by Gaudi’s fantastical Parque Guell in Barcelona. Amazing food here, and the wine tasting experience is not to be missed. Their buttery and bright 2015 Syrah was one of the boldest we found on the island.
* Tantalus Estate Vineyard offers up an exceptional tasting experience in a pretty seriously hip cellar door right beside a sea of vineyards. A modern and polished affair to be sure. Tantalus’ 2015 Voile Syrah is a notable wine – uniquely powerful and vibrantly alive.
* Stonyridge Vineyard may be Waiheke’s most famous winery, and it is certainly one of the island’s most posh. If you are into the see-and-be-seen scene, this is the place to be. On a Saturday afternoon, you might imagine you were in a high end West Hollywood night club. But don’t let the dazzle distract you from Stonyridge’s epic red blends. The place became famous for good reason!
Finally, some say Man O’ War produces Wiaheke’s most notable wines (sadly, we did not make it there and cannot confirm). It is, however, far across the island and thus more of a one-stop destination if that’s where you plan to go.
Beautiful places like the magical Waiheke Wine Island are #WhyWeLoveWine!