Wineries we visited in New Zealand
Over eighteen days in January and February 2025, on New Zealand's North Island, my husband and I visited eighteen wineries.
My husband Trevor is a wine writer and photographer and wine educator. Before we visited New Zealand, he had researched the most famous and important wineries and written to arrange a meeting with the owner and /or winemaker. We hoped to have tastings as well as learning all about what made each vineyard and winery unique.
Some places were only wine growers They grew grapes which they sold to other people. Or they had a main grape which they mixed with different varieties. Others bought in some or all of their grapes and bottled and labelled them. Others did both growing grapes and harvesting them, as well as winemaking, involving crushing the grapes, leaving them to ferment in barrels, bottling and labelling the wine.
He interviewed the enthusiastic staff and I recorded the interviews on my handphone to save him taking notes and to enable him to be in the moment and establish rapport.
Most tourists don't have or want to have details of the wine-making process, why one grape thrives on a sunny slope, or despite clay soil. The customer just wants to taste a couple of wines and find what appeals in order to drink that with their meal and buy a bottle or two, or four or more, to take home.
My husband likes reds, dry reds. As for grapes, he likes Syrah (also called shiraz). And Sauvignon Blanc.
I like white wines, sparkling (including blanc de blanc), and rose, above all sweet wines. Gewurtztraminer. Pinot Gris. (In Europe and the USA, Grenache, also called Garnacha.)
He likes port and sherry. I like sake. So between us we cover most styles.
Cellar Doors
Cellar door tastings are ideal for this sampling of varied wines. The businesses normally charge for three or more tastings. A tasting measure is a small glass.
No Alcohol
The driver might choose not to drink. Or to drink no alcohol alternatives. (Low alcohol is not the same as no alcohol.)
Alcohol Levels
Check the alcohol level on the wine label.
Alternatively a professional, wine taster, who goes to regular trade events, will sip and spit into spittoon, which resembles a small ice bucket.
Rivals Or Good Relations?
In New Zealand I asked one wine maker if the local companies were rivals or friends - or unknowns. He said that they all belonged to a wine growers' association to look after mutual interests.
Wine Company Links
We also found that many wine growers had moved from one company to another. Even from one country to another (eg back to the USA). Married each other. Were related, from the same ancestry (eg Croatian). Therefore they knew each other well and could compare their own company with others easily and happily.
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If you are a tourist some top places to visit are
Auckland Area Day Trip to the KUMEU RIVER region
1 Soljans Estate Winery Cellar Door
A great shop sells wines, and glasses with the letter S (for Soljans, therefore handy if you wish to remember the company, or if your name is Sarah, Susan, Simon, or Smith). The shop also has caps, bags and scarves.
The wine tasting was 15 New Zealand dollars per person for five wines. I loved the great wine from my favourite Gewuztraminer grape.
2 Kumeu River Winery
Run by the famous Michael Brajkovich, who makes a huge range of seriously interesting wines.
Auckland to Rotorua
From Auckland, we went to the Rotorua hot springs area, in the Waikato wine region (Wai is the Maori word for water). Near Rotorua we visited the evocatively named Volcanic Hills winery.
In Ohaupo we went to the Vilagrad winery.
Napier Area - A winery open 7 days a week for tastings
Urban Winery, Napier, New Zealand. Open seven days a week. Wine tastings. Music nights. Some food some hours from a short menu.
Novelty - Egg shape barrels! You can glimpse the egg barrels through the glass.Their business cards feature eggs with fancy designs.
On The Road - weekend tastings
Leveret & Mills Reef Winery at Katikati in the BAY OF PLENTY WINE AREA
A lovely old vine grows over their entrance forming a shady roof from the sun or maybe some shelter from worse weather.
Their symbol is three rabbits chasing each other inside a circle. Look carefully and you'll see the number of ears is not six.
We were greeted by Andrea, who originated from Hong Kong. She had attractively decorated the showroom with orange lanterns for Chinese / Lunar New Year in early February 2025.
Then she decorated the shop with pink and red hearts for Valentine's Day later in mid February. She even wore heart-shaped ear-rings she'd bought in Hong Kong.
Katikati Cellar Door shop open 9.30 am -5 pm daily for sales only, no tastings.
Wine tastings for your long weekends, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Phone 64 77 552 0795.
WAIHEKE ISLAND
Casita Miro, Waiheke Island
The back of their business card.
Another winery which we visited was Casita Miro, Casito being Spanish for little house, and Miro the artist. Casita Miro is most notable for its wacky, colourful decor. The astonishing and delightful show starts with the long, lively murals along the drive-in, continuing at every turn with pictures and amusing objects around the restaurant, which views the picnic lawn, and in restrooms.
A wine tasting room cum shop on the far side of the car park.
A larger restaurant room with views, is a great place for a lunch with wines.
NORTHLANDS Wine Region has four places we visited.
Paroa Bay
From Russell take a winding road, or the shuttle bus free for diners at the Paroa Bay restaurant. On the hilltop overlooking their vinery is a top grade restaurant, with a tasting menu. At lunchtime or early evening there is a fine view, which we captured when we stopped there and on seeing the menu immediately made a booking. But returning late at night with twilight we found outdoors breezy, chilly, and took their advice regarding tables and happily ate indoors.
The Omata Estate - for a perfect pizza
We stopped around lunch time, watched them cooking pizza in a hot pizza oven. After sampling wines, we ordered a pizza, the best pizza I've ever had. Just a thin base, not overwhelming you with filling flour, supporting and spread with a mixture of savoury white cheese and sweet red cranberry which was divine.
Marsden Winery, Russell, Northlands
Marsden Winery was big and bustling, a very popular eating place. A location with a story. The current, chatty, owner who we met, was greeting regular customers at the door and bar counter. In between, he was keen to tell us how he had bought the place and battled to keep it going as a winery. Competing interests were thinking the site was better used by uprooting the vines and tradition and introducing a modern new housing estate.
Dancing Petrel Paewhenua Island, Northlands
By contrast, the Dancing Petrel is a quiet secluded place. But the label is dinsttive and memorable. It shows a sea bird, the dancing petrel. We sat in the back yard of the owners who are small scale producers, nature lovers, whilst they described the petrel they promote on their label.
Useful Websites
Casita Miro
Leveret
Soljans
Urban Winery
(More winderies being added shortly.)
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