Wine Tasting Coast To Coast Tour For Two (Auckland)

We start the day by visiting up to two wineries in the West & East coasts (ex Auckland) area where you’ll get the chance to taste wine made from grapes grown in NZ’s premium wine regions, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Martinborough, Marlborough & Otago. You will to find our world famous fresh, zingy Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay and sometimes Pinot Gris and Gewurtztraminer with reds including Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and sometimes Pinotage, Malbec and Grenache. We then drive (approx’ 50 minutes) across the country to the East coast Matakana region for a delicious open menu (single main course) lunch at Heron’s Flight vineyard restaurant (lunch included) and a visit to Muriwai Beach which joins the Tasman Sea. After lunch your guide will select three more of Matakana’s wineries to visit. Matakana is a small area rapidly developing a big reputation for it’s boutique wineries. You’ll discover some excellent wines full of NZ’s famous freshness, flavour and varietal character. Your guide is the most experienced wine tour guide in the Auckland area and will go into as much, or as little, detail as you like about the different wine styles available and wine making techniques used in NZ. Chardonnay & Pinot Gris are two of Matakana’s specialities. One local winery won the best NZ Merlot award, beating all the favourites from Hawke's Bay! There is also Semillon, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Syrah (Shiraz) to try. One winery is exploiting the region’s suitability for Tuscan style wines with Sangiovese Grosso grapes for what the Italians call Brunello di Montalcino. - Enjoy a delicious vineyard restaurant lunch overlooking the vines (included). - Have a chat with the winemakers and find out some of their secrets. A great chance to stock up on your favourite wines, or discover something new, at genuine cellar door prices. At the end of the tour we return you to your Auckland city accommodation.