Wonderful Waiheke

This tiny island off Auckland isn’t the most obvious place to start an exploration of New Zealand wines. Waiheke is one of three Auckland wine regions and Auckland itself is around just 1% of New Zealand’s 36,000 hectares of grapes. So why Waiheke? 

People first, place later. My recommendation for visiting a new wine region is go with a wine maker, it opens doors and bottles. Nicola Allison from Château de Seuil in Graves, Bordeaux, was my guide. She married Kiwi Sean and is an ex Auckland resident .

My intrepid guide, bottle in hand

This was my first trip to New Zealand, I’m certainly no expert but here are a few things I learnt to set the scene. I highly recommend the free text book on the New Zealand wines website for a more thorough introduction.

Place 

New Zealand’s wine regions extend across 1,100 km from 35-45°S, from the subtropical North down to Central Otago, in the South,  islands that benefit from the moderating effect of a maritime climate.

Wine growing dates back to early 1800s. The most famous wines are Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, wines that dominate the 285 million litres produced pa, from 731 wineries exporting 1.8 Billion NZ $ to over 100 countries. The principle markets are the UK, USA and Australia. 

Sustainability and biosecurity. In 1995, as befits their image of a green and pleasant land, New Zealand introduced Sustainable Winegrowing NZ™, one of the first sustainability programmes for grape growers. It was followed in 2002, by a sustainable winery certification. Now, 96% of New Zealand’s vineyard is SWNZ certified and over 90% of wine is produced in SWNZ certified facilities. The SWNZ logo can only be used for wine made from certified grapes and in certified wineries. 

Indigenous subtropical forest – worth protecting

If you’ve travelled to New Zealand, you’ll know how strict their bio security controls are. Their isolation (and it’s a long way) protects them from many vine pests and diseases, although they too have phylloxera, and this year, mildew – see below. In 2017, New Zealand Winegrowers joined the Government Industry Agreement (GIA) for biosecurity readiness and response. Winegrowers are encouraged to only plant certified Grafted Grape Standard high health vines sourced from members of the Vine Industry Nursery Association (VINA). 

All agriculture and wildlife are considered at risk. Many visitors come to New Zealand to hike and washing your hiking shoes is par for the course. Areas of original and replanted indigenous flora on Waiheke are clearly sign posted to wash shoes to protect the indigenous Kauri trees.

Auckland 

Despite the small area of vineyards, Auckland on the North island is one of New Zealand’s oldest wine regions, thanks to Croatian, Lebanese and English immigrants in the early 1900s. As New Zealand’s biggest city (Wellington further South is the Capital) it’s home to many leading wine companies and a historical centre for consolidation, packaging and shipping wines. Having New Zealand’s largest, most economically important city at its heart also helps drive wine tourism. 

Waiheke Island, in the Pacific Ocean east of Auckland, is a 40 minute ferry from the city. The wines have their own geographical indication and the WWA (Waiheke Wine growers Association) Trade Mark certifies wines are made from 100% Waiheke island grapes, on vineyards that are part of the sustainable programme. 

The terroir is a mineral rich, montmorillonite clay (not dissimilar from the blue clay at Petrus in Pomerol) over volcanic bedrock. With richer alluvial soils in valley floors and volcanic ash soils at the eastern end of the island. The temperate maritime climate is usually described as warm and dry, although I arrived 24 hours before a biblical storm. 

Varieties Waiheke is traditionally known for its Cabernet driven ‘Bordeaux’ blends, but more recently for their elegant Syrah (some of my favourites) and Chardonnay.

Syrah at Passage Rock

So much for the technical, the real reason to visit is the island is gorgeous. Vineyards are often in beautiful locations, but in Waiheke you can add an ocean back drop to rolling vines.  With just 216 hectares under vine, and 30 growers, winegrowing on Waiheke is ‘boutique’. Quality and the loyal following this creates ensures economic viability driven by wine tourism that offers a warm and relaxed welcome and innovative hospitality – everyone offers food and tastings. 

Golden

Heinrich Storm, director and wine maker at Goldie Estate since 2008, gave us a potted history of wine on the island at the island’s oldest vineyard. Enthusiastic sailors Kim and Jeanette Goldwater came to Waiheke in 1977, they were the Waiheke wine pioneers, buying pastureland despite scepticism about the island’s suitability for viticulture. They planted the first vines at Goldwater Vineyard in 1978. 

Tasting at Goldie

Every weekend, they sailed over from Auckland bringing posts, plants and fixing up the house before sailing back to their full time jobs on Sunday night. Their 1^st vintage, Goldwater Cabernet Sauvignon 1982, was tiny, but its success led to more plantings, adding Merlot for their ‘Bordeaux blend’ released in 1987. They bought more land to plant Chardonnay, releasing Goldwater Zell Chardonnay in 1998. Today, the vines are spread across 30 acres of native bush overlooking Putiki Bay, and produce Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Chardonnay and Viognier.

Supporting New Zealand industry initiatives, Goldwater Estate joined the Sustainable Winegrowing pilot programme at its inception and the Screwcap Initiative in 2001, again at its inception. Currently 90 per cent of New Zealand wine is sealed with screwcaps, an initiative to eliminate cork taint. 

Screw caps at Goldie Estates

Investments across New Zealand included Marlborough and Hawkes Bay, eventually creating the NZ Wine fund. In 2009 they removed the Waiheke wines from the fund and in 2010, Goldie Wines was created to differentiate the family’s Waiheke vineyard from the Goldwater holdings. 

In 2011, the family transferred the Goldie estate to the University of Auckland, creating the Wine Science Centre. Rather than a research facility, it’s a commercial & academic wine science programme where students get a hands-on learning experience. 9-12 students live in the homestead working alongside winemakers in the winery with the conference room as their classroom.

Not your classic university classroom – always a warm welcome at Goldie

Henrich took us through a vertical of the Syrah, the Bordeaux blend and the Chardonnay. The vintage affect is clear in the wines, he obviously has fun experimenting with wine making techniques to adapt to this vintage variation, using whole bunch fermentation if acidity is low, adding freshness floral notes and in the hotter vintages. He produces 25-30 tonnes of grapes from the heavy clay terroir, relying on the orientation of slopes for plot differentiation – and there are some impressive slopes. They underlined the importance of hospitality and cellar door sales in their success, and they do it well. 

Stormwood Henrich also shared the collaborative nature of the wine business on the island, it’s small, everyone knows each other. He works with Michael Wood, winemaker of Obsidian Vineyards to produce Stormwood, farming parcels of organic vineyards across the island. We tasted their delicious Marsanne at dinner a few days later at Three Seven Two on Onetangi Beach.

Make wine not war. The biggest and best known island winery is Man O’ War, producing around 500 tonnes of grapes. The total farm covers almost 2 000 ha, 75 plots of vines are planted on volcanic soils amongst olive groves, orchards and pastureland all part of the farm to table philosophy at their restaurant.

A water front welcome at Man o’ War

You can discover all this on e-bikes but do go to the tasting room and restaurant right on the beach of Man O’ War Bay. On the eastern end of the island, it is the most beautiful venue, there’s even a quaint chapel next door for a picture perfect wedding. They are happy to riff on this name see above). Like many they have a sense of humour, (the title above is a riff from their T shirts) taking the wine, but not themselves, too seriously. A theme with wine makers across the island.

A light hearted approach at Goldie too.

Stonyridge has a back story close to my heart, owner Stephen White is a yogi (there’s a vibrant yoga community on the island – I went to at least five different yoga studios during my stay). As a wine maker he also has close ties to Bordeaux. Wine Marker Martin Pickeringexplained the history to us.

Picking up on the yoga vibe at Stonyridge. Yogis take a close look at the label below

In 1981 Stephen returned to New Zealand after skippering yachts around the world and sailing a Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race. (There’s a theme here). He worked in wineries in France, California and Italy and before choosing Stonyridge, with its north facing slopes (we’re in the Southern hemisphere remember) to plant Merlot vines and olive trees in 1982 (the first commercial olive grove in New Zealand). Cabernet Franc and Malbec followed in 1983 and in 1984, following a vintage with the Sichel family at Chateau d’Angludet, he brought Petit Verdot back from Bordeaux. Way before biosecurity measures, I imagine. 

1985 was the first Stonyridge Vineyard vintage, in 1987 he made the Bordeaux Blend ‘Larose’ to international acclaim. It still reaches high 90s in international tastings. It’s the most expensive commercially made wine in Waiheke, and yes they are close friends with Château Gruaud Larose in Saint Julien.  Such is his love for Bordeaux they use Bordeaux barrels and emulate the En Primeur system, offering ‘wine futures’, to members since 1987. They make the estate wines from 12ha and a Fallen Angel range from elsewhere in New Zealand, mainly to offer a broader range to restaurant guests. The winery restaurant is another illustration of the important role hospitality plays in the success of vineyards here.  Fatboy slim performed here the night before we visited – the staff was looking a little weary after what was, by all accounts, a memorable evening despite the dodgy weather.  

Nets. Sailing into harbour on arrival, what first struck me were the nets on the vines, protection against voracious birds as veraison started. Bird pressure is not a problem in Bordeaux, the joke is the French shoot them all. As we sat on the terrace of the restaurant watching vine workers checking the nets for damage, Martin explained that indigenous birds don’t peck away at the grapes but the newer arrivals, such as sparrows and mynah birds.    

Netted vines, olive trees, yachts and spectacular views – welcome to Waiheke.

There are a lot of natural habitats for birds across the island, agro-forestry may be new in Bordeaux, but here vine plots are spread out between lots of natural and replanted sub-tropical woodland. Most of the indigenous forest, uprooted in the 1800s and early 1900s for pasture, is now being re-introduced. During the 2020 lockdowns Stonyridge planted 300 native trees around the property.

Other memorable visits were tiny Te Motu, where the restaurant is as much a pull as the wines. Planted in 1989, by the Dunleavy family on the Jurassic clay and gravel soils of the Onetangi valley where night time warmth contrasts with cooling day time ocean breezes. The flagship Te Motu is a Cabernet Sauvignon dominant Bordeaux blend with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, producing only  4500 bottles a year. Kokora is their right bank Merlot driven blend.

Passage Rock was my first taste of Waiheke Syrah, thanks to my generous host. I was immediately seduced, and a  visit was scheduled to Tematuku Bay to discover this pioneer of Syrah on the island. 

Seduced by Syrah At Passage Rock

The winery is busy, with smells of delicious food welcoming diners inside and out. Tucked into the valley again near the water – you never forget Waiheke is an island – we were welcomed by the new generation Johnny, clearly with an inherited passion for wine, from his pioneer father David. Almost everyone on the island picked our brains about Bordeaux as well as sharing their own passion.

Olive trees and vines on a Passage Rock plot

Gin with a view. Wineries aren’t the only places to sip admiring stunning views. The tiny Waiheke Distilling Company is perched high above Cowes Bay, also on the eastern edge of the island. The gleaming stills are in a modern facility, but the tasting room is an old wool-shed. Under the parasols between a botanical garden and impressive sculpture from a Macrocarpa log off the property we discovered the range of gins distilled with local botanicals and even seaweed. The tasting menu lets you choose your gins and or vodkas and your mixers or opt for one of the colourful cocktails.  

Gin with a view

Olives . There are around 20 thousand olive trees on the island, planted, alongside the vines, many wineries sell their own olive all (and manuka honey) alongside their wines. 

The oldest at 40 years old are at Stony ridge (see above). We tasted a range of olive oils at the Allpress Olive mill in the foothills of Rangihoua mountain in Aotearoa. 
The mill produces oil from its own groves as well as being a community press for independent olive growers across the island who can choose to bottle independently or add their oils to the press range. 

They produce blends, single estate and single variety oils. The tasting was fascinating with stunningly different flavours and mouth feel between the different oils. The Picual variety was my favourite, a real bite thanks to high polyphenols levels – and you know how I feel about polyphenols. Locals bring their own bottles to be refilled. 

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Mudbrick

Just a five minutes’ drive from Waiheke’s ferry terminal, Mudbrick offers sumptuous wines, a cozy tasting room, English cottage-style gardens and stunning views of the Hauraki Gulf and Auckland city. New Zealanders also know it as one of the nation’s top wedding destinations. Food lovers flock to its two eateries: the romantic Mudbrick Restaurant and the modern bistro, Archive, both of which feature creative, island-inspired offerings like a seafood-forward gumbo, local Te Matuku Bay oysters and taro leaf rotolo. Adding to the appeal, Mudbrick also offers a range of beautifully designed accommodations across the island and in Auckland.

Wines to try: 2021 Reserve Chardonnay, 2022 Oscar Syrah, 2020 Reserve Bordeaux Blend

Tantalus

Carrie Mendell and Campbell Aitken purchased the Tantalus property in 2013. Over the span of three years, they built an impressive, light-filled tasting room nestled into the hills of the Onetangi Valley and surrounded by sweeping panoramas of vines. Luxurious yet down-to-earth, the winery is also home to an award-winning restaurant, which offers stunning views of the vineyards from its serene dining room. Filled with natural materials and encased in glass, the restaurant offers both a la carte and six-course “trust the chef” tasting menus. Don’t miss the dark and broody subterranean wine library and on-site microbrewery, Alibi Brewing Co.

Wine to try: 2017 Écluse Bordeaux blend, 2017 Voilé Syrah

Batch

The experience at Batch is just what you’d hope for from the highest-elevation winery on the island: knock-your-socks-off views, no matter where you stand. Take in the steep hills lined with rows of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Syrah and Bordeaux varietals from the terraced patio or cozy restaurant, which boasts floor-to-ceiling windows and local seafood and meat cooked on a Josper charcoal grill. Multiple tasting options are available, including a $75 per person barrel tasting experience. Whatever experience you choose, make sure to try a glass of Prosecco-style Thomas Blanc de Gris bubbles—it’s one of the few wineries in New Zealand to make wines in “Charmat” tanks.

Wines to try: NV Thomas Sparkling Cuveé Rosé, 2021 Thomas Legacy Cabernet Franc

Man O’ War

In a remote location on the far eastern end of the island, many locals frequent Man O’ War’s beachfront tasting room and restaurant by boat. But one doesn’t need to board a watercraft to access this winery. The estate runs its own coach bus, which passes by some of the winery’s hillside vineyards, with daily departures from the ferry terminal. The winery is the largest on Waiheke with 75 individual vineyard blocks that account for a whopping two-thirds of the island’s vineyards. It is also one of the few labels exported internationally. The operation’s range of elegant wines includes a textural, barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon and a savory, floral Syrah.

Wine to try: 2019 Dreadnought Syrah

Where to Eat

Waiheke has no shortage of world-class winery restaurants. In addition to those mentioned above, Poderi Crisci is the spot to tuck into a lingering Italian lunch of pasta, Neapolitan-style meatballs and pan-seared Yellow Fin Tuna alongside a glass of estate-made Arneis or Montepulciano. Te Motu’s The Shed restaurant, meanwhile, is the place hyper-local, seasonal fare like garden veggies and house-cured meats. At Casita Miro, a Mediterranean tapas menu pairs perfectly with own-label wines and an extensive list of Sherries.

Beyond winery dining options, rub shoulders with locals at spots like The Courtyard Restaurant, which offers Italian-ish fare with international flourishes; beachfront Three Seven Two; Italian Café Fenice; and award-winning beachside bistro The Oyster Inn. Grab a pint and pub grub at beach bar Charlie Farleys; coffee and baked goods at Rendezvous Café; brunch at Nomads and gelato at La Dolce Vita.

If your accommodation comes with a kitchen, stock up on meat at the Humble Pie Village Butchery and organic ingredients at The Island Grocer. Or, if you’d prefer to dine with the sand between your toes, grab a sandwich at the grocery deli to eat right on Oneroa Beach, a stone’s throw away.

Where to Stay

As a popular weekender destination, Waiheke has no shortage of accommodation styles, from extravagant villas to backpacker hostels. There are over 300 rental listings on AirBnb, but locals recommend using the booking site Waiheke Unlimited.

If you’re looking for opulent digs, consider booking a stay at The Boatshed, a small luxury hotel that overlooks the bay and beach, and Omana Luxury Villa, a collection of four secluded modern hilltop villas that feel like a private oasis. Midrange lodgings can be found at beachy The Oyster Inn and contemporary Waiheke Island Resort.

Several wineries also offer accommodation—most notably, Mudbrick. Scattered across the island, options include beautifully designed rooms, cottages and guest homes in a variety of styles. There’s even a cozy cottage for rent in Auckland.

Things To Do

“There is a whole network of trails across the island,” says American expat and winemaker Diana Hawkins, who co-founded the label Responsible Hedonist with her partner Frank Leperi. “The Matiatia coastal walkway is an easy access trail with great views.” Every other year it hosts Sculpture on the Gulf, a large outdoor gallery.

“I also recommend hiking the small trail near Little Oneroa beach,” says Hawkins. “Grab a pizza from Dragonfired and walk up with the bottle of wine you bought at the winery that day and enjoy the sunset.”

Hawkins also recommends snorkelling at the nude beach but warns: “you may see more than fish!” She recommends Enclosure Bay for spotting octopus, rays, and seahorses.

Alcides Pont Neto, a Brazilian expat and Head of Wine Sales at Batch Winery, recommends renting a bike to explore the wineries, visiting the local farmer’s market on Saturdays or hiring a helicopter for a bird’s eye view. “A flight with Waiheke Wings is a must-do attraction,” he says. “To see the island from above is great, and you really feel you are in a special little place in the world. When I did it, it just made me appreciate much more the place I had chosen to live.”

Another stunning outdoor experience is the waterfall at Whakanewha Regional Park. “If you are feeling more adventurous and have a car, a visit to Man O’War bay is a great day trip, with the famous Stony Batter gun emplacement tunnels offering a look at Waiheke’s wartime history,” says Fiona Walkley, Cellar Door Manager at Mudbrick winery.

For rainy days, Walkley recommends a visit to Waiheke Community Art Gallery or Waiheke Musical Museum, or catching a flick at Waiheke Community Cinema. The volunteer-run facility shows the latest movies as well as arthouse and locally produced productions in a unique setting. “All the seats are old couches,” says Walkley. “It’s fantastic!”

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