NEW ZEALAND’S BEST WINE EXPERIENCES

Of course you’d expect to taste great wine in the Land of the Long White Cloud. But an innovative batch of luxury offerings lifts these wine experiences to a new level

STORY & IMAGES COURTESY OF NEW ZEALAND TOURISM

New Zealand is best known for its rugged mountain peaks, deeply carved fiords and sweeping white sand beaches. But this land of contrasts is also home to a slew of indulgent food and wine experiences, whether you’d like to board a helicopter, set sail on a yacht or embrace a farm-to-table philosophy and wash it down with a fine drop. All in an idyllic natural setting, of course. Here, our favourites.

Cape Kidnapper's wine experiences include tastings and appreciation classes

The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, Hawke’s Bay

The Farm at Cape Kidnappers is a 30-minute drive from Napier on the North Island’s east coast but a world away, with its dedication to high-end luxury experiences. This is a special place, not only because it reveals panoramic views of New Zealand’s wild east coast at its best, but also because it’s home to just a handful of individual private cottages, so few people can stay at once. Wine experiences range from wine tastings and appreciation classes in The Farm’s own cellars to fullday excursions exploring the cellars of some of Hawke’s Bay’s best wineries.

Travel Tip

The warm maritime climate makes Hawke’s Bay comfortable to visit yearround, even on chilly winter mornings when the sun is shining. Fly into Napier, hire a car and explore this area, which is New Zealand’s most diverse wine region and home to top wineries producing quality chardonnay, merlot and sauvignon blanc. Visit two of the oldest continuously working wineries in New Zealand – Church Road Winery in Taradale (see the Roman vinous artefacts in its cellar museum) and Mission Estate.

The Farm at Cape Kidnappers is a celebrated luxury lodge and golf resort with fine wine and cuisine to boot

Gravlax salmon, lime and cilantro leaves perfectly paired with a Cloudy Bay Sauv Blanc

Cloudy Bay, Marlborough

If eating freshly harvested oysters, taking a private helicopter tour over the Marlborough Sounds and foraging for your own food appeals, then the Cloudy Bay Winery’s Forage – a twoday, small group experience – is for you. In between food foraging, there are private vineyard tours, wine tastings, sashimi tastings of local salmon and lunch on the Marlborough Sounds on the way to Tio Point oyster farm to harvest shellfish fresh from the sea. It also includes a private barrel tasting and blending session at the globally renowned winery. Cloudy Bay also offers a day sailing the Marlborough Sounds onboard a yacht, savouring lunch LOVE and their celebrated wines NEW ZEALAND? against this stunning backdrop.

Travel Tip

Book any of the custom made experiences at this iconic winery: from sailing the Marlborough Sounds to scenic vineyard helicopter tours and private tastings. This is New Zealand’s largest grape growing and winemaking region, home to 90% of the nation’s sauvignon blanc plantings.

Cloudy Bay tastings

Special moments at Cloudy Bay

Brancott Estate Heritage Centre, Marlborough

With one of the most outstanding vineyard restaurants in the country, here you’ll find an exclusive bespoke private dining room catering for up to 18 guests, or a wine tasting tailored to your tastes. Take a vineyard cycling tour or up the splendour with a helicopter flight over the vineyards followed by a premium wine tasting experience, featuring Brancott’s top-flight wines, led by one of the estate’s experts. They know what they’re doing, as creators of the first ever Marlborough sauvignon blanc.

Travel Tip

From Auckland or Wellington, fly into Blenheim (The Brancott Estate is on the outskirts of Blenheim). Stay at the nearby five-star Marlborough Lodge, a stately residence set in expansive heritage gardens or cruise out on the Marlborough Sounds on the MV Tarquin.

The famous red shed at Brancott Estate

Marlborough's first modern vineyard, Brancott Estate Heritage Centre overlooks the region and has vistas to the North Island

Amisfield Winery, Queenstown

When Amisfield head chef Vaughan Mabee led a team from the restaurant into Otago’s great outdoors to source flora and fauna for a unique paddock-to-plate dining experience a few years ago, he knew he was onto something. Since then, local cooking students have also indulged and the wilderness forage grew into a private hands-on experience for visitors to the region. Needless to say, bookings are essential to indulge in this individualised, exclusive, behind-thescenes experience. And it all ends – of course – with a glass or two of Central Otago pinot noir, the grape that makes up almost 80 percent of the region’s vineyards.

Travel Tip

Fly into Queenstown and hire a car to drive to Amisfield, on the shores of Lake Hayes, which is 25 minutes from the airport. Advance bookings are essential.

Amisfield Restaurant and Cellar Door

Amisfield Vineyard

Fish and urenika chips with manuka smoked mayo

MAIN IMAGE: Amisfield Vineyard