The Wines of Waiheke

When you've exhausted the architecture, shopping and nightlife of Auckland, it's time to get out of town. We took a day trip to Waiheke, an island in Auckland Harbour (a 45-minute ferry ride from downtown), which is known for its tiny but excellent wineries.

Tiny they are indeed, and informal:



But the wines are excellent. While New Zealand is best known for the cool-weather grapes Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, which are grown further to the south, Waiheke specializes in syrah and cabernet sauvignon. The syrahs especially are excellent, like the best Rhone wines. (We also came, to our surprise, upon an excellent Malbec and a decent Montepulciano, grapes we didn't realize were grown in New Zealand at all.)

They are served up amid stunning, pastoral scenery as well:



Some parts of the island have views back to downtown Auckland:


We found the wines excellent throughout New Zealand, and particularly recommend the following: Marlborough region for Sauvignon Blanc (Matua and Allan Scott are two names to look out for); Central Otago and Martinborough regions for Pinot Noir; and Hawkes Bay region for Syrah.

You probably won't find any Waiheke wines in the United States, but if you do, names to look out for are Kennedy Point, Obsidian and Te Whau. At almost all of these, the Syrah is the best bet. It is truly world class.