Auckland. It's the main portal into New Zealand with hundreds of visitors arriving daily at the International Airport. But it seems that not many wine lovers hang around New Zealand's largest city, to sample the wines. Instead they head further south, perhaps to Hawkes Bay but more usually to the famed Marlborough region where Sauvignon Blanc has made it a wine destination of international fame or to the beautifully scenic Central Otago region where the pinot noirs are to die for. But Auckland, with its population that numbers over one million people of diverse cultural backgrounds, has the highest number of registered wineries in New Zealand.

All the country's largest winemakers are here and although they source grapes from most regions within New Zealand, they have for historical and business reasons based their headquarters in Auckland.

There are the country's three Category III producers (ie their annual grape sales exceed 2 million litres), Montana (which now incorporates Corbans), Villa Maria and Nobilo, as well as several of the Category II producers (annual grape sales between 200,000 and 2 million litres), such as Babich, Collards, Coopers Creek, Delegats, Kim Crawford, Lincoln, Matua Valley and Morton Estate. Then there are all the 'boutique' producers who have annual sales of less than 200,000 litres.

However the area under vine (at the end of June 2002 is just under 430 hectares, which is less than 1/12th of that in Marlborough. There is a list of the grape varieties grown in Auckland at the bottom of the page.

I have produced here a regional guide to many of the Auckland wineries. Within each region, I list the wineries in a suggested order of visiting, along with notes where appropriate. Many of the wineries are open for tasting and sales, and I have noted these where known.

** indicates a Category II winemaker - annual grape sales exceed 200,000 litres.
*** indicates a Category III winemaker - annual grape sales exceed 2 million litres
WM indicates the winery is a member of the 'Winemakers of Auckland Group'. A map showing the vineyard locations can be picked up at any of the member wineries, showing more detailed directions and opening times.

• Villa Maria Wines. Montgomerie Road, Mangere WM ***
  
Within 10 minutes of leaving Auckland International Airport, you can be out of the car and in the tasting room of Villa Maria and here you can sample some of New Zealand's finest wines at one go.
The Villa Maria Group incorporates the labels, Villa Maria, Vidals and Esk Valley. Villa Maria sources most of its fruit from Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and Marlborough but does have some vineyards at Mangere and occasionally sources fruit from other Auckland areas.
A visit to Villa Maria, with their vineyard park and New Zealand's largest undercover state-of-the-art winery is highly recommended. Even if you only have a couple of hours in Auckland whilst changing planes, make this trip. The winery is open daily and a there is a fee charged for wine tasting.
www.villamaria.co.nz

Further to the east, at East Tamaki, is the headquarters and massive production plant of Montana Wines, however it is not open to the public. Montana centre their tourism around their Marlborough complex.

Henderson
The Henderson district is the place where the heart of Auckland's wine making history began and Pleasant Valley Wines in Henderson Valley Road is the oldest. The winery was established in 1902 by Dalmatian, Stephen Yelas, who bought the property some years before to dig for gum. For many years, Henderson was the commerical hub of the New Zealand wine industry.

On a tour from Auckland City, the place to start your vineyard tour is at Lincoln Road, 15 minutes from the city centre along the northwestern motorway. This was once a rural country road lined with vineyards on either side. Now just a few stalwarts remain, sharing their boundaries with factories and residential housing as urbanisation makes the land too valuable for others to stay. One day these wineries will make a fortune from the sale of their land.
Most of the other Henderson wineries are further west, near the scenic Waitakere Ranges. All wineries are listed but not all are worth visiting. Some retain their traditions while others move into the 21st century with International acclaim.

• Artisan Wines 99 Parrs Cross Rd Oratia, right next to The Packing Shed Cafe. Open daily. www.artisanwines.co.nz
• Babich Wines, Babich Road, Henderson WM ** A tier of wines with the Estate, Winemakers Reserve, Irongate and Patriarch labels. Closed on Sundays. www.babichwines.co.nz
• Landmark Estate Wines, 132 Bruce McLaren Road, Henderson, WM Open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm. Closed Sunday. Wine tours and groups by appointment only. www.landmarkestate.co.nz. Ph. +64 9 8388452.
• Lincoln Vineyards, 130 Lincoln Road, Henderson WM ** A big range of wines from this heritage producer with grapes now sourced from Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and Marlborough (the last vines around the winery were removed in 1998). Open Mon to fri from 9am to 5,.30pm, Sat from 9am to 12 noon, and Sunday from 12 noon to 5pm. www.lincolnwines.co.nz
• Mazuran's Vineyards, 255 Lincoln Road, Henderson. Open daily. A fortified producer of some repute, although not very visitor friendly in my experience.
• Pleasant Valley Wines, 322 Henderson Valley Road WM Henderson's oldest winery. Open Mon-Fri, 9am -5pm. Sat, 11am - 4pm. Closed on Sundays. (Cafe no longer operates)
• Sapich Brothers Limited, 150 Forest Hill Road, Henderson. Home of the legendary 'Purple Death' (a liqueur). Open daily. www.sapich.co.nz
• St Jerome Wines, 219 Metcalf Road, Henderson WM Cabernet Merlot made from Henderson fruit is consistently one of the country's best and is cellared for three or 4 years before release. Other wines use Hawkes Bay and local fruit. Open daily. www.stjerome.co.nz

Collard Brothers, at 303 Lincoln Road, Henderson, closes its doors in February 2008.
Mothers Cellar at 329 Lincoln Road, Henderson closed during 2007.
Pacific Vineyards at 90 McLeod Road, Henderson closed in 2006. The site where it once was is now housing.

I do not know the wines of the following wineries in this area

• Vodanovich Wines, 229 Lincoln Road, Henderson
• Grandview Wines, 172A Don Bucks Road, Henderson
• Misty Valley Wines, 245A Henderson Valley Road Henderson
• Fino Valley Wines, 283 Henderson Valley Road
• Fullers Vineyard, 86 Candia Road, Henderson
• Golden Gate Vineyards, Henderson
• Mayfair Wine Cellars, 192 Sturges Road, Henderson
• Seibel Wines, 113 Sturges Road, Henderson.

Hobsonville
This area extends into Whenuapai and the Brighams Creek area, on the southern side of the Rodney boundary. It is not far to drive to these wineries from either the North Shore via Upper Harbour Drive, or just a further five minutes from the end of the North Western motorway. There used to be two cineyrds, but the vines at Limeburner Bay have been pulled out and the label is now defunct.

• Buljan Wines, 122 Hobsonville Road, Hobsonville. Produces wines in the Dally style.

Kumeu, Huapai and Waimauku
It is only about a 30-minute drive from Auckland City to the first of the vineyards in this region. It is a younger area than the more southerly Henderson vineyards but similarly, many were started by Dalmatian families. Others are much newer operations. Some world class wines are produced from here and well as some of the traditional 'Dally' styles. Some of the wineries are only open on weekends.

• Soljans Wines, 366 State Highway 16, Kumeu WM A brand new winery complex, opened July 2002, is the first vineyard on your left as you drive along State Highway 16 heading north. Cafe and function centre. Open daily. www.soljans.co.nz
• Kumeu River Wines, 550 State Highway 16, Kumeu WM as you near the Kumeu village. It's internationally acclaimed chardonnay has been featured in the U.S. Wine Spectator magazine's Wines of the Year on more than one occasion. Open daily except Sunday. www.kumeuriver.co.nz
• Kerr Farm Vineyards, 48 Dysart Lane, Kumeu WMA boutique winery which shares a boundary with Harrier Rise. Most fruit sourced from the home vineyard including a tasty Pinotage, plus a Hawkes Bay chardonnay. Open weekends only. www.kerrfarmwine.co.nz
• Nobilo Wines, Station Road, Huapai WM *** Owned by Constellation Wines, this is NZ's second largest producer. Many of the original vines surrounding the winery have been pulled, but there are still a few hectares, which can be sighted behind the complex as you drive along Station Road. Well worth visiting. Grapes are sourced from most areas within NZ and as well, some of the companies other agency wines are available for purchase here. Open daily. www.nobilo.co.nz
• Coopers Creek, 601 State Highway 16, Huapai WM ** Another winery with an international reputation. Wines sourced from Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and Marlborough as well as the home vineyard. Open daily. www.cooperscreek.co.nz
• Matua Valley Wines, Waikoukou Valley Road, Waimauku WM ** is always on my itinerary when I show visitors around. They have a great wine shop with lots of vinous paraphernalia besides wine to buy. Matua source wines from most regions except Northland and Central Otago. Open daily. www.matua.co.nz
• West Brook Winery, Ararimu Valley Road, Waimauku. WM West Brook have recently relocated from Henderson after the building of a neighbouring residential subdivision brought about a change in local body regulations, limiting the use of sprays on the vines and bird scaring guns. The new location in the Ararimu Valley Road makes this winery visit a destination. The new vineyard was planted in 1999. Lovely rural views. West Brook sources grapes from Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and Marlborough. Open daily. www.westbrook.co.nz
• Waimarie Wines, Muriwai Valley Rd, Waimauku. A new development continues the generations of winemaking by the Nobilo family. Steve Jnr and his brother Nick have planted their vineyard with Bordeaux varieties and Syrah. Until the vines come into full production, grapes from other regions are also being used. Not yet open to the public. www.waimariewines.co.nz

Check out www.kumeuwinecountry.co.nz for lots more information about this heritage area.

Also listed as Kumeu wineries by NZ Winegrowers, there is little information on the following and they are not open to the public.

• Beros Estate 137 Nelson Road, Taupaki
• Brighams Wines Ltd, Kumeu
• David Papa Estate Wines, Station Road, Kumeu
• KV Wines, Riverhead Road, Kumeu
• Rabbit Ridge Vineyard, Taylors Road, Waimauku.

New vineyards are being developed in the Waimauku / Muriwai part of the region.

Southern Kaipara Harbour

• Kaipara Estate, Waioneke Valley, South Head Peninsula. Progressively planted since 1995, the first releases were from the 2003 vintage. The Nine Lakes label is for the top wines and the Monks Road second label is for wines more approachable in their youth. Not open to the public. www.kaiparaestate.co.nz

Warkworth / Matakana Wineries
With the northern motorway now terminating at Orewa, it is only a further 30 minutes drive to the wineries in the north of the Auckland region. Although planted in the 1900's, the revival came in the late 1980's after the Antipodean Farm released their Bordeaux-style red, a 5 litre bottle of which sold at auction for $5000. This fuelled interest in the area although it has not been as fast developing as other areas further south. All of the wineries are fairly 'boutique-ish'. Several of the wineries are open to the public. Most are now charging for tastings.

In 2006, with the increasing number of wine growers in the Warkworth / Matakana area, the Matakana Winegrowers group was formed. In September 2006, the members are listed as Ascension, Brick Bay, Contour Estate, Courage Creek, Coxhead Creek, Gillman Vineyard, Greve, Hawks Nest, Herons Flight, Hinchco Family Vineyard, Hinemoa Estate, Hyperion, Hurstmere House, Mahurangi Estate, Matakana Estate, Merryfields, Old Mill, Omaha Bay, Providence, Puriri Flat, Ransom, Saltings Estate, Takatu, The Castle Matakana,Ti Point, Whitmore Wines, and Atakama Wine Workshop.

In September 2006, 16 members of Matakana Winegrowers appear on the Matakana Wine Trail brochure, which can be downloaded from the website www.matakanawine.com. The following producers are open to the public.

• Ransom Wines, Valerie Close, Warkworth. Ph: (09) 4250494. www.ransomwines.co.nz.
  Heading into Warkworth, Ransom is on your left about a kilometre after the 'honey place'. Excellent Pinot Gris, tasty chardonnay and stellar reds, including Carmenere which is to be released as a single varietal from the 2005 vintage. Open daily during the summer from 10am to 5pm. Closed on Mondays at other times of the year. Food platters and wine tasting trays.
• Ascension Vineyard, 480 Matakana Road, Matakana. Ph: (09) 4256667. www.ascensionvineyard.co.nz.
  Opened in October 2000. Open daily for tasting and sales of wines made from graped sourced from the vineyard and outside of the region. The new Oak Grill Restaurant opened in October 2007. There is the Belfry function centre and vineyard and winery tours are available. There is a charge for winetasting.
• Herons Flight Vineyard, 49 Sharps Road, Matakana. Ph: (09) 4227915. www.heronsflight.co.nz.
  The second winery in this region with a golden start after the 1991 vintage Cabernt Sauvignon won a gold medal. Now an Italian varieties specialist producing Sangiovese and Dolcetto. Open Daily from 10am. Cafe and vineyard tours. The new wine and food centre opened in November 2006.
• Hyperion Wines, Tongue Farm Road, Matakana. Ph: (09) 4229375. www.hyperion-wines.co.nz.
  Won a gold medal for the 1998 Merlot in 1999. At the end of a metal road. Check the sign at the bottom of the road, but usually open daily.
• Brick Bay Wines and Sculpture Trail, Arabella Lane off Mahurangi East Road. www.brickbay.co.nz.
  A boutique winery specialising in Pinot Gris and Merlot and producer of the region's first gold medal winning Pinot Gris in 1998. The 'Glasshouse' and Sculpture Trail are open 10am to 5pm daily. In April 2007 it cost $10 to walk the sculpture trail and $4 to taste three wines, refundable on purchase.
• Omaha Bay Vineyard, 189 Takatu Road, Matakana. Ph. (09) 4230022. www.omahabay.co.nz.
  The winery, cellar door and restaurant is situated at the top of the ridge with gorgeous views across Omaha Bay towards Little Barrier Island. Grapes are grown on the vineyard and from outside the region. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 10.30am to 4pm (later in the summer). There is a charge for wine tasting.
• Contour Estate, 139 Takatu Road, Matakana. Ph. (09) 4230002. www.contourestate.co.nz
  A specialist Syrah producer, Contour Estate opened in November 2007. They are open in the summer, Friday to Sunday from 10am - 4pm. Tasting cost $5 per glass, refundable on purchase of a 6-pack of the Syrah.

• Antipodean Farm, PO Box 5, Matakana. www.theantipodeanwine.com. The winery that sparked the interest in the region. Wonderfully aging Bordeaux-style reds.
• Courage Creek Vineyard, Duck Creek Road, Matakana. www.couragecreek.co.nz.
• Coxhead Creek Road Vineyard, Coxhead Creek Road, Leigh. Syrah specialist.
• Gillman Vineyard, 99 Sharp Road, Matakana,. Visit by appointment. Ph Toby on 021 0373445.
• Hawks Nest, 646 Matakana Road, Matakana. www.hawksnestvineyard.blogspot.com.
• Hinchco Family Vineyard, 150 Monarch Downs Way, Matakana. A boutique winery specialising in Merlot. Wines available at 'Taste', 2 Neville Street, Warkworth.
• Mahurangi River Vineyard, 162 Hamilton Road, Warkworth. Ph. (09) 4250306. www.mahurangiriver.co.nz for online orders.
  Under new ownership, the cellar door and cafe is closed for re-development and is expected to re-open in 2009.
• Matakana Estate, 586 Matakana Road, Matakana. Ph: (09) 4250494.
• Providence Vineyards, Omaha Beach Road, Matakana. A boutique winery specialising in predominantly Merlot. Wines are exported to the UK.
• Saltings Estate Vineyard, 1210 Sandspit Road, Sandspit. Boutique vineyard accommodation. www.saltings.co.nz.
• Takatu Vineyard, Whitmore Road, Matakana. www.takatuwine.co.nz. Boutique vineyard with first release from the 2003 vintage.
• The Castle, Whitmore Road, Matakana. www.the-castle.co.nz. Boutique Winery and spectacular accommodation.
• Ti Point Wines, Ti Point Road, Leigh. The Matakana vineyard specialised in 'Bordeaux' grapes with grapes from other regions used to supplement the portfolio. www.tipoint.co.nz. Wines available in retail.
• Valley View Wines, 646 Monarch Downs Way, Matakana.

Related Link: A 2001 winter reconnaissance to Warkworth and Matakana. This link provides a detailed map of the area.

Wellsford is noted on the map. There are no vineyards here today, but at the rate new vineyards are being planted there is bound to be one there soon. However, I include Wellsford for it is here that Charles Levet and his son William became New Zealand's first commercial winemakers in 1863. They shipped their wine by sea, out through the Kaipara Harbour, down the west coast of New Zealand and into the Manukau Harbour, where they off-loaded their barrels at the port of Onehunga. See this story

Heading South
Back to the road and down the Southern Motorway, exiting at Papakura. This a relatively untapped area, with wineries becoming established in the Clevedon and Karaka regions. Just a couple are open to the public and are perhaps a worthwhile detour on a trip south.

• Arahura 146 Ness Valley Road, Clevedon. This tiny operation is out of a converted garage. A couple of useful red wines are made from blends of merlot and cabernet sauvignon blends. www.arahuravineyard.co.nz.
• Inverness Estate Ness Valley Road, Clevedon. This vineyard is a little further down the road past Arahura. Current wines are Chardonnay, Semillon and Cabernet Franc. Open weekends from 10am to 4pm. www.inverness.co.nz.
• Puriri Hills, 398 North Clevedon Road, Clevedon. Wonderful red wines are produced from the property. Open weekends only. www.puririhills.co.nz.
• Rannach Vineyard 308 Ness Valley Road, Clevedon. A red wine specialist, this vineyard borders a native forest with tracks to meander through. Open weekends from 10am to 5pm. www.rannach.co.nz.
• Twilight Vineyards 105 Twilight Road, Clevedon. Open 11am - 4pm every weekend throughout the year. Open daily during January and February. Open Thursday to Sunday November, December and March. www.twilightvineyards.com.
• Vin Alto, Jones Road, Papakura (en route to Clevedon) WM A range of Italian varieties have been planted by Delmaine founder, Enzo Bettio and Leighton Smith's Clevedon Hills wines are also avilable here. Open in the weekends for wine tastings but if you are heading that way, why not book a seat at the fabulous Enoteca restuarant with much of the produce from the surrounding farm. The food is specificially designed to match the wines. www.vinalto.com.

• Clevedon Hills Vineyard, Tourist Road, Clevedon
• Edgewater Estate, 455 Glenbrook Beach Road, Waiuku
• Hitchen Road Vineayrd, Hitchen Road, Pokeno
• Karaka Point Vineyard, 31 Creek Street, Drury www.karakapointvineyard.co.nz. Tours by appointment.
• Karaka Vineyards, 118 Beach Road, Papakura
• St Nesbit Winery, Hingaia Road, Papakura
• Villa Noortheim, 360 Ness Valley Road, Clevedon - www.villanoortheim.co.nz.

From Auckland by sea
Waiheke Island is only 35 minutes from downtown Auckland by quickcat ferry. The island has undergone a frenzy of vineyard planting in the last few years and there are 24 growers in the Waiheke Winegrowers Association. Check out my Waiheke page for a comprehensive coverage.

Great Barrier Island is 90km from Auckland City. John Mellars established his Great Barrier Island vineyard in the remote location of Okupu Bay on the west coast above the Tryphena harbour. I have not tasted the wines but have heard a decent red is made and is popular with boaties in the summer. Open by appointment only. Website: http://home.exetel.com.au/mellars/john/

Another vineyard has been established on the island at Oasis Lodge - www.barrieroasis.co.nz.

Daily quickcat ferries take 2 1/4 hours to travel from Auckland to the west coast harbour of Tryphena. Some services carry on to Whangaparapara and Fitzroy. The much slower Sealink (car and passenger) ferry and air travel is also available. There is no public transport on the island, however taxis are available and tours and rental cars are available. For further information check out www.greatbarrier.co.nz/GBIVIC/GBI_travel.htm

Auckland Grape Variety tonnages harvested from the 2004 & 2007 vintages

Disclaimer: Travelling times mentioned on this page do not account for traffic holdups, rush hour traffic and accidents. If travelling in prime time along motorways, allow for extra time.