Wine Lovers Guide to Hawke’s Bay

Hawke’s Bay is fast becoming one of New Zealand’s top wine destinations. Amanda Barnes from Decanter magazine shares her tips on where to go and what to do.

More than a million tourists make their way to this sunny wine region in the North Island each year, where three dozen cellar doors and over 200 vineyards await exploration by foot, bike or car.

As New Zealand’s oldest and second-largest wine region, Hawke’s Bay is a hotbed for wine tourism. With 76 wineries and counting, you could spend over a month wine tasting in Hawke’s Bay. Stretching from Esk Valley and Bayview in the north down to Central Hawke’s Bay further inland to the south, the wine region covers roughly 50km by 30km. However, if you only have a weekend, head for the top names that have helped put this wine region on the map.

Barnes suggests: Te Mata, Black Barn Vineyards (pictured), Gimblett Gravels and Trinity Hills among others.

Original article by Amanda Barnes, Decanter, November 29, 2018.