Wine Regions

New Zealand's vineyards are renowned as produces of outstanding wines by wine lovers throughout the world. Production has increased four-fold in the last 15 years and exports now total 112 million litres per year, earning the country $990m in the process. Touring wine regions is increasingly popular and vineyards are welcoming of visitors - offering picnic areas, tastings, tours and cellar shops. Good restaurants and excellent local food producers are also plentiful.

The main wine regions are:

Hawke's Bay

Hawke's Bay is most famous for its Chardonnays. However excellent reds in recent years - Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon - are beginning to change perceptions. The region has over ninety vineyards making it the second largest wine-producing region in the country. Many vineyards are based around the art deco city of Napier and also at Hastings, a little further south.

Wairarapa

Small wine region, big reputation - that's Wairarapa. Its small, family-owned vineyards produce less than 2% of New Zealand's wine but scoop all the awards year after year, especially for their outstanding Pinot Noirs. Rolling hills of vineyards along the Ruamahanga River, a wild coast and quaint towns provide the backdrop, with the town of Martinborough at the heart. The town founder, John Martin, was a British patriot who laid out its streets in the shape of a Union Jack and named them after cities he had visited. A visit to the Martinborough Wine Centre is a must for all wine lovers.

Marlborough

Sunshine, seafood and world class Sauvignon Blanc - that's how many sum up the Marlborough region. As New Zealand's largest wine producing region it has over 130 vineyards, concentrated in the Wairau and Awatere valleys, mostly between Blenheim and Renwick. More are found on the Cloudy Bay coastal route. An absolute must for visitors is to try the Sauvignon Blanc with locally harvested scallops and green-lipped mussels. Fine Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs are also found and Marlborough has an enviable reputation for traditionally made sparkling wines.

The Classic Wine Driving Route

The driving route from Hawke's Bay to Marlborough has become a pilgrimage for wine and food lovers, and for good reason. The countryside is beautiful, the towns and cities interesting and of course the food and wine outstanding. Starting in Napier the route takes in Hastings, then through the Wairarapa to Martinborough, then on for a stop over in Wellington to sample its restaurant life before boarding a Cook Strait ferry to the Marlborough Sounds and then on to Blenheim. Lovely vineyards, great wines and food guaranteed, all the way.

Other Wine Regions

The Gisborne region is the self-styled ‘Chardonnay Capital' of New Zealand, whilst Northland is enjoying a small renaissance having seen the birth of vine growing in New Zealand in 1819. Other wine areas include Nelson, Canterbury, Central Otago, Northland, Auckland and the Waikato Bay of Plenty.