Wine touring on Waiheke Island, New Zealand – our review
It’s a mere 19km long, but Waiheke Island has over 30 premium vineyards.
Waiheke Island has long been a favourite getaway destination for Aucklanders, being a short 40-minute ferry ride from the city. With its green hills, pristine sandy beaches and attractive villages, Waiheke is also a magnet for holidaymakers who want to get away from it all.
Waiheke is also becoming increasingly popular with wine-lovers. Its small, boutique wineries don’t have the possibility to upscale beyond a certain level, so Waiheke wines are mostly unavailable to buy elsewhere. All of which makes a wine-tasting tour feel particularly exclusive and special. But is the wine any good? We decided to find out for ourselves.
Waiheke wine – how it all started
The history of winemaking on Waiheke goes back as far as the 1950s, when Lovre “Lorrie” Gradiska and his family planted the first vines near the small township of Ostend. The Gradiskas specialised in fortified wines, including infamously strong sherries and ports.
2 decades later, the first of the modern winemakers, the Goldwater family, planted their first vines near the town of Surfdale. The winery they founded still exists today and is known as Goldie.
More vineyards sprang up during the 1980s – Stonyridge, Peninsula Estate, Te Motu and Fenton Estate. Cabernet Sauvignon was the most favoured grape variety at this time, producing Bordeaux-style red wines. By the 1990s, Syrah was becoming increasingly popular. Today, even more varieties are grown, producing white wine varietals and Rosé.
How to tour the vineyards
Being a small island, Waiheke isn’t exactly big on public transport. The best way to visit a selection of vineyards is to take an organised tour. That way, there’s no argument about who should be the sober driver!
Various different options are available. You can take a full day tour or a half-day; include lunch or afternoon tea; go private or join a small group. We chose a half-day small group tour with Waiheke Wine Tours. Our driver Rob met us at the island’s ferry terminal and showed us to the minibus for our tour. We greeted fellow-tasters from the US, Canada, the UK and Belgium.
But first – lunch
As it’s not a good idea to go wine tasting on an empty stomach, our tour organisers wisely made lunch our first stop. This was served at Ki Māha restaurant, overlooking beautiful Onetangi beach (which I think is the best beach on the island.) We had been asked to pre-select our 2 courses from the menu a few days earlier, so that they would be ready for our arrival.
After lunch and our first glass of Waiheke Island wine, we enjoyed a brief stroll on the beach before setting off on our tour of 3 wineries.
Our review of the lunch: fabulous location and ambience, food and service just okay.
Wineries we visited
Batch Winery
Batch Winery has been run by the Thomas family, originally from Canada, since 2009. It’s located at one of the highest points on Waiheke Island, at an elevation of around 200 metres, so the views are stunning. The name reflects their small-scale production of around 30,000 bottles per year. Our tasting session was named the ‘Thomas legacy tasting’.
Hosted by the very friendly Grace, we tasted the 2024 Thomas Sparkling Cuvée Rosé, a Prosecco-style wine with a 50-50 mix of Syrah and Merlot. This was a lovely fresh summery drink, perfect for our sunny afternoon.
This was followed by the Thomas Field Blend Rosé, a Provence-style wine made from a blend of Merlot, Malbec and Syrah. Grace explained that the lightness of this very drinkable wine was due to the short 2-hour skin maceration process.
Finally, we tasted a hearty, spicy, Christmassy red – the 2023 Thomas Estate Merlot/Petit Verdot/Malbec. Very appropriate for our December visit and a lovely contrast to the other wines. Tastings complete, there was just a little time for wandering around the attractive grounds and restaurant.
Postage Stamp
Postage stamp is owned by British entrepreneur Andrew Barnes and his Kiwi partner Charlotte Lockhart, who own other wine-related businesses on Waiheke Island. The quirky name of the winery comes from the shape of the vineyard, which is reminiscent of a postage stamp – a feature that is reflected in the winery’s branding. As at Batch Winery, the setting is picturesque. Visitors can enjoy the surrounding countryside, the charming white chapel and the olive grove, along with the vineyards.
We took our seats at the long farmhouse table in the rustic tasting room, where our friendly host Rico treated us to 3 tastings. First was the Vagabond sparkling Chardonnay, a Prosecco-style fizzer. Light and fruity, this was a very pleasant drink. Next came the Adélie Pinot Gris, which is not made from local fruit but from grapes grown in the Wairau Valley, Marlborough, in the south island. This had a more dry flavour, which definitely appealed to my palate.
Finally, we tried the Camino Tempranillo 2021, a full-bodied red. Aged in French and American oak barriques, this had a hint of cherry and spice. Unlike the more oaky Spanish wines, this was a typically softer tempranillo, full of flavour without being too heavy.
Mudbrick
This is probably my favourite vineyard of all those I’ve visited, anywhere in the world. It’s the most gorgeous place, overlooking rolling hills and with views across the Hauraki Gulf to Rangitoto Island and Auckland city. You can enjoy these views from Mudbrick’s picturesque, sun-kissed terrace, surrounded by fragrant gardens. Had I held my wedding in New Zealand, this would have been my top choice – it’s SO romantic!
Mudbrick was started in 1992 by Robyn and Nicholas Jones, who were looking for a more purposeful alternative to their corporate careers in Auckland. The business is still owned by the Jones family today. There’s an excellent restaurant and a bistro, both of which I highly recommend. The restaurant is very popular – so booking in advance is essential.
But back to the wines. As at our previous two venues, this visit commenced with a sparkling wine: the Mudbrick Méthode Traditionelle NV Marlborough. As the name suggests, this is made from Marlborough grapes rather than local ones. We loved it.
Next came the Mudbrick Marlborough Pinot Gris 2024, an Italian-style wine – again, made from Marlborough grapes rather than local. Marlborough’s extra sunshine hours enhance the flavour of the grapes, so while it was a little disappointing not to taste wines from local fruit, the quality was superb.
Finally, we tried the Mudbrick Onetangi Valley Syrah 2023, a rich, spicy, fruity red wine. In all honesty, by this time we were in the kind of mood that made every wine taste good! But I’d say that this was my favourite red of the day, while Batch Winery’s sparkling Rosé was my favourite fizz.
Finishing the tour
At this point, we were given the option to be taken to the ferry terminal by our tour guide Rob, or to stay on at Mudbrick and make our own arrangements to return to Auckland later. It was such a beautiful sunny evening, and we were all getting along so well as a group, that most of us decided to stay on. We found seats in the terrace bar and ordered some food. It was the perfect way to end the day.
A couple of hours later, the Mudbrick staff helped us order a taxi to take us to the ferry terminal. We enjoyed a gorgeous sunset sail back to Auckland city.
Where to stay
If you’re going to be based in Auckland, see our companion post for recommendations on where to stay in the city. But if you fancy staying on the island, this would make for a unique and different experience. Most wine tour operators will have arrangements for those already on the island to join their tour at a specified location. Our tour, for instance, picked up at the Oneroa ice cream parlour as well as the ferry terminal!
Accommodation on Waiheke largely consists of privately-owned holiday rentals rather than hotels. Some of the top-end luxury homes command 5-figure sums per night! A number of wineries offer accommodation, either on-site or nearby.
Mudbrick Accommodation
Mudbrick winery offers a range of options, from a simple cottage to the luxurious on-site Lodge. The cost ranges from NZ$400-1800 per night at the time of writing. This is per booking, not per guest, so for instance the Lodge accommodates up to 6 guests for the one price. Minimum stays may apply.
Cable Bay vineyard
Cable Bay winery offers a stylish 2-bedroom ‘tiny house’ with a pretty garden, patio and views of Matiatia Bay. The cost is around NZ$630 per night, per booking, with reductions for extended stays. A large villa is available next door, for families and groups. Both properties are available via AirBNB.
Final thoughts
I won’t pretend that Waiheke Island wines are comparable with the great wines of the world, or even with the best of New Zealand. But the unique setting and the picturesque locations of the vineyards make for a very pleasurable day out.
Our Waiheke Wine Tours driver, Rob, was friendly and knowledgeable. He kept us to time but we never felt rushed. We enjoyed driving around the countryside between wineries and learning more about life on the island.
Our only hesitation in recommending this company would be their back-room admin, which was somewhat lacking. We were sent out-of-date ferry information, for example, which almost caught us out and several members of our group. Getting an admission or apology from the company, however, was like getting blood out of a stone.
So I would recommend looking at a range of offerings from different companies. Tripadvisor is our go-to for this kind of research. And always check your ferry times on the day, if you’re starting your tour at Auckland, as things do sometimes change at short notice.
For more posts on New Zealand, see our Oceania page.
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