Wine Tasting East Coast Tour For Two (Auckland)

Tour includes complimentary pick up from your Auckland, central city, location. Matakana is a small area rapidly developing a big reputation for its boutique wineries. You'll discover some excellent wines full of NZ’s famous freshness, flavour and varietal character and enjoy a delicious open menu (single main course) lunch at Heron's Flight Vineyard Restaurant (lunch included). We travel North, approximately 50 minutes, over the Harbour Bridge, along the East Coast through small seaside towns and farming communities getting some great views of the Hauraki Gulf and Pacific Ocean along the way. 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. We visit up to four boutique wineries in the region for tastings. 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. The itinerary may slightly vary however we often visit the following wineries - Ransom, Ascension, Hyperion and Matakana Estate. - Enjoy a delicious vineyard restaurant lunch overlooking the vines (included). - Have a chat with the winemakers and find out some of their secrets. Includes optional side trips. NZ Honey Centre (honey tasting included) The Art of Cheese (cheese sampling included), Morris & James Pottery, stand alongside 800 year old giant Kauri trees. 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.