Wineries and Vineyards

Wine Tours by Bike in Blenheim
Wine Tours by Bike in Blenheim (Marlborough)
New Zealand
Wineries and
Vineyards

Early missionaries planting their vines in the Far North and Hawke’s Bay, and Croatian immigrants seeking to bring a little of their homeland to New Zealand at the turn of the century had little idea that the kiwi penchant for wine and its production would have such a huge implications for the country in the twenty-first century.  As meat and dairy trade deals with Britain collapsed in the nineteen-sixties and seventies, kiwis turned this economic blow to their advantage as agriculturalists were forced to diversify their crops.  Planting vines on marginal stony pasture land of low fertility is one of the success stories of those times, and the New Zealand wine industry has never looked back.  Today, the burgeoning number of vineyards around the country clusters into ten wine regions, from The Far North’s small pockets centred around Kaitaia, Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands, and Whangarei, to the  depths of Central Otago, the world’s southern-most wine producing region.  From Martinborough’s small boutique vineyards producing hand-crafted vintages of pinot noir to the vast acreage of Marlborough’s largest sauvignon blanc producers, each region is unique, though most share free draining alluvial soils and ‘maritime’ climates, perfect for producing high quality Bordeaux style reds and flavoursome aromatic whites.   Central Otago, where some of New Zealand’s premier pinot noirs are produced, is New Zealand’s only region with a ‘continental’ climate.
New Zealand’s most popular wine regions are Matakana, Waiheke Island, Hawke’s Bay, Martinborough, Marlborough and Central Otago, where cellar doors and on-site restaurants invite visitors to sample and enjoy the fruits of the vine.  Wine tours, with transport ranging from limousine to bicycle, can be arranged in each region to suit individual tastes, or you can plan your own route using the wine maps available locally.

New Zealand Wine Regions

You’ll find that New Zealand wines owe as much to their individual winemakers as to the region they come from, but here’s an outline of the predominant varieties grown in each region.

The Far North – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay.
Auckland Region:
Northwest of Auckland, Henderson, Kumeu and Huapai grow mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay.
Waiheke Island - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and                               Syrah.
Matakana - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and                     Chardonnay
Clevedon - Italian style wines & boutique wines.

Bay of Plenty – Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and                            Sauvignon Blanc
Gisborne – Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Riesling
Hawke’s Bay – Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet                           Franc and Syrah
Wairarapa – Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris,                       Merlot and Chardonnay
Marlborough – Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling
                         and Methode Traditionelle.
Nelson – Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Noir
Canterbury – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc.
Central Otago – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling.

- Organic Vineyards and Wineries
- Wine and Food Festivals


Mudbrick Vineyard & Restaurant on Waiheke Island

 

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