Best Wine Regions in New Zealand
Great vines make great wines, but great vines are very particular, requiring the right conditions before bearing fruit.
Thankfully New Zealand has some of the best places in the world to grow wine and that’s why we have so many wine regions. If you are serious about your wine, we recommend adding any of the three big wine regions to your itinerary:
Three other wine regions worthy of consideration are Auckland, Martinborough and Canterbury.
Best Wineries in New Zealand
There are over 500 wineries in New Zealand so unless you’re planning to stay for a few years doing nothing else but visiting wineries, it’s going to be hard to get around them all.
Whilst they’re all of an extremely high standard, we’ve highlighted some of our favourites from the regions featured above, and a few outside as well in case your adventures happen to take you elsewhere.
Tantalus Estate - Waiheke Island
On the beautiful Waiheke Island, a short ferry ride from the shores of Auckland, you’ll find a number of great wineries including the awe-inspiring, Tantalus Estate.
This 20-acre picturesque vineyard is one of the newest of its kind in the country and is known for its Bordeaux and Rhone-style reds. Not only is the wine superb, but the surroundings are spectacular, especially the venue which has won architectural awards across the country.
They have all bases covered with a cellar door, brewery and restaurant on the premises with no stone left unturned. Even the light fittings are amazing and it’s details like that which really make the difference.
Craggy Range Winery - Hawke’s Bay
The scene that welcomes you at Craggy Range Winery is one that’s fitting of a postcard. With rows of vines in front of a beautifully designed venue and the mighty Te Mata Peak in the background, it’s a sight that leaves many speechless.
The wine also leaves visitors lost for words. Taking advantage of the warm climate and the stone and sandy alluvial soils, the winery produces glorious reds including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.
Wine Enthusiast magazine named Craggy Range Winery the ‘New World Winery of the Year’ in 2014, a highlight of the many awards it’s received over the years. It has an outstanding Cellar Door and restaurant.
Church Road Winery - Hawke’s Bay
For something a little bit different, Church Road Winery is one to head to offering a range of activities for a complete winery experience. This includes its cellar door, restaurant, underground wine museum and concert venue.
Church Road Winery is actually one of the oldest in the country dating back to 1897 it embraces a philosophy that sticks to traditional winemaking techniques using French Oak cuves and barriques.
Although they specialise in red wine they also produce some extremely palatable and aromatic whites like Chardonnay and Pinot Gris.
Cloudy Bay - Marlborough
One of the most famous wineries in New Zealand cannot be omitted from this list and that is of course, Cloudy Bay, in the heart of winemaking country in Marlborough.
The spacious cellar door, which it needs to be given its popularity, is located at the winery itself and gives visitors great views of the Richmond Ranges. During the Summer, they also open the Jack’s Raw Bar, their relaxing outdoor wine lounge bar with great green spaces and petanque to enjoy should you wish.
You’ll be chomping at the bit to get at their iconic Sauvignon Blanc but their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is just as popular and just as good!
Wairau River Winery - Marlborough
Wairau River has some of the oldest vines in the region and has been a family run winery since the 1970s.
They also have one of the most sophisticated and beautiful cellar doors in the region where you can sit out on the lawn in the summer or by the fireplace in the winter enjoying their much-lauded Sauvignon Blanc.
The restaurant offers a seasonally inspired menu, with their mussel chowder especially amongst locals and visitors alike, and is a great place to enjoy a relaxed and casual lunch.
Peregrine Winery - Central Otago
Peregrine Wines say they produce “wine with altitude” which is a clever use of words but there are plenty of other clever things they do when it comes to winemaking.
This includes incorporating organic farming as part of the process for developing the land and enriching the compost for the vines. They even use the eggs from resident chickens too for wine fining. They are also heavily involved in local conservation.
A visit to the winery and cellar door is made all the more special by the spectacular and award-winning building that takes the form of a falcon’s wing. Then you have the wine including their spectacular Pinot Noir which you’ll want more than a taste of without a doubt.
Chard Farm Winery - Central Otago
20 minutes drive from Queenstown you’ll find Chard Farm Winery, another Pinot Noir specialist using the best of the natural conditions to produce wine of tremendous quality.
Chard Farm actually spent its first 120+ years as a farm and orchard before it was transformed in the 1980’s as a winery with the ambition to produce interesting wine to drink with food and good company.
The cellar door experience is superb, set in the beautiful hills of Central Otago with heart-stopping views and a building full of character and is open for tastings 7 days a week.
Pegasus Bay Winery - North Canterbury
In the sheltered Waipara Valley, 30 minutes drive from Christchurch, you’ll find Pegasus Bay Winery, a family-owned winery that believes in minimal intervention in all stages of the winemaking process.
Pegasus Bay is considered one of the top wineries in the country, let alone the region. Wine lovers adore the Riesling and Chardonnay which you can of course, try at the cellar door where they also stock several of their flagship reserve wines too.
If you have time for a meal, you won’t be disappointed by their restaurant which has won numerous awards for cuisine in New Zealand since 2005.
Ake Ake - Kerikeri, Northland
If you are looking for something a bit different, then Ake Ake is a great place for a visit. Located in Kerikeri, Northland, Ake Ake is a boutique vineyard specialising in growing and making award-winning wines from grape varietals such as Chambourcin, which are best suited to the climate and terroir of the far north.
All of the grapes grown at Ake Ake Vineyard are fully certified organic and it’s a great place for a visit if you have a few spare hours on a trip to Paihia and the Bay of Islands.
We would recommend a trip around lunch or dinner. The Vineyard Restaurant is renowned for serving fresh, seasonal local produce and is set among the vines creating a wonderful environment to enjoy a glass of wine and some of the tastiest food in the region.
New Zealand Wineries with great restaurants
We’ve already covered a few wineries with fantastic restaurants but there are plenty more like the ones below which are all especially known for their fine cuisine.
New Zealand Wineries with spectacular views
Not only do our vineyards have great wine and food, they are often located in some of the most secluded and beautiful spots in the country. There’s nothing that adds more to the relaxing ambience than a great view to look at, so we’ve listed the ones we think have the most spectacular views going.
Wine and Food Tours with GO Play
If you’re interested in doing some Wine and/or Food Tours as well as your own independent visits, then that isn’t a problem when visiting New Zealand.
What’s even better is that GO Rentals are partners with a number of the best operators around which means our customers can enjoy discounts using their GO Play cards!
Rent the perfect car for your adventure
Recommended vehicle for a wine tasting tour
TOYOTA CHR
3 year(s) old
Explore New Zealand’s wineries in style in the Toyota CHR featuring Bluetooth handsfree, 5-star ANCAP Safety Rating and steering mounted controls.
5 Seats
1 large bag
1 small bag
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