Private Wine Tours – Hawke’s Bay

Enjoy the journey. Taste our wines. Create Memories.

Join us for a memorable & fun-filled tour of a selection of Hawke’s Bay wineries. Each winery has its own philosophy, its own practices, its own story – and a unique cellar-door experience.

 

Whether you’re a wine buff, or an absolute beginner in wine appreciation, this is the opportunity to grow your knowledge, and enjoyment, of Hawke’s Bay wines.

 

Tour with YOUR TOUR and get the X-factor: excellent communication, extensive planning based around your wine tour preferences, exceptional service, local expertise – and an overall experience extraordinaire!

  • A view of the outdoor dining area at Elephant Hill Winery, Te Awanga
  • This series of TOM wines, displayed at Church Road Winery, gives a nod to the original Church Road winemaker, Tom McDonald.
  • Plane trees line the long drive of Mission Estate Winery in Greenmeadows, Napier.
  • The Te Mata Estate pickers, a happy group of 70 plus year olds, undertake the vintage picking.
  • The outdoor seating area at Church Road Winery, Greenmeadows, Napier.

WINE TOUR OPTIONS

Popular Private Wine Tours

1 to 6 people

 

Choose your private wine tour experience from these pre-planned favourites. You can be confident that each winery included in your tour, be it large or small, will be one with a reputation for providing a quality product & an excellent cellar door experience. Each of these tours is 4 or 4.5 hours and includes Standard wine tastings at either 3 or 4 wineries. Enjoy a flexible departure time, pick-up & drop-off, travel in a comfortable, modern & air-conditioned vehicle, an informative commentary, product-specific information from knowledgeable cellar-door hosts, a light morning or afternoon tea; and bottled water & snacks. View our selection of half-day private wine tours below.

This couple enjoy a scrumptious platter and wine at the charming Hawke's Ridge winery in Kereru.

Numbers: 1 to 6
Tour type: Private wine tour with some sightseeing
Tour Length: 4 to 4.5 hours

 

Sample tastings at THREE wineries situated in different parts of Hawke’s Bay. Below is a typical itinerary:

 

  • Winery 1: Enjoy tastings at one of the oldest wineries in New Zealand, Church Road Winery. Not only does this winery produce award-winning wines, including Champion Wine of the Show at the 2019 Hawke’s Bay Wine Awards, but it also claimed the inaugural New Zealand Cellar Door of the Year Award in 2019.
  • Travel a scenic route through the acclaimed Gimblett Gravels winegrowing district where the grapes of some of our top Hawke’s Bay wines are grown.
  • Winery 2: A newer winery by Hawke’s Bay standards, Trinity Hill is situated in the heart of the Gimblett Gravels. View the barrel hall, taste an extensive array of wines and soak up the ambiance of this roomy & architecturally interesting cellar door space.
  • Travel through the sub-region of the Bridge Pa Triangle, home to a selection of both large & boutique family-owned wineries.
  • Visit Birdwoods Gallery, Havelock North, a unique destination experience with shops (sweet, ice-cream & gifts), gallery & a sculptural garden walk. Enjoy a light refreshment.
  • Time permitting, experience 360-degree views from the summit of the iconic landform, Te Mata Peak.
  • Winery 3: Set below the escarpment of Te Mata Peak, Craggy Range makes a strong architectural statement. In June 2019, it was placed 11th on the list of the Top 50 World’s Best Vineyards to visit.

 

This tour can be customised to meet your requirements.

Numbers: 1 to 6
Tour type: Private wine tour with some sightseeing
Tour Length: 4 to 4.5 hours

 

Sample tastings at THREE wineries as we drive a scenic route from the hills of Havelock North, to a setting beneath the escarpment of Te Mata Peak, and on out to the coastal settlement of Te Awanga. Below is a typical itinerary:

 

  • Start your tour with a drive to the summit of Te Mata Peak. Enjoy 360-degree views of Hawke’s Bay.
  • Winery 1: Sample the wines of this family owned winery with a 125-year history; Te Mata Estate. Learn more about this winery through our blog post.
  • Winery 2: Set below the escarpment of Te Mata Peak, Craggy Range makes a strong architectural statement. In June 2019, it was placed 11th on the list of the Top 50 World’s Best Vineyards to visit.
  • Travel through the scenic Tuki Tuki Valley, stopping for a light refreshment.
  • Winery 3: Choose 1 of 2 options, both located in the seaside setting of Te Awanga. Elephant Hill is visually striking with its expansive building, clad in pre-patinated copper, designed to give a gentle nod to its surroundings; the vineyards, the ocean, and the cliffs of Cape Kidnappers. Neighbouring winery, Clearview Estate, is recommended to those who favour a relaxed vibe in a rustic setting. Both offer a superb selection of wines for tasting.
  • Time allowing, travel through the seaside village of Te Awanga & on to where the road ends. From here, view Cape Kidnappers in the distance and learn about the importance of this landmark to Hawke’s Bay.

 

This tour can be customised to meet your requirements.

Numbers: 1 to 6
Tour type: Private wine tour with light platter
Tour Length (approx.): 4.5 hours

 

Sample tastings at FOUR wineries; two in Greenmeadows and two boutique wineries in the Bridge Pa Triangle. This option includes a light platter lunch. Below is a typical itinerary:

 

  • Start your tour with a drive to the premium grape-growing area known as the Bridge Pa Triangle. While the major varietal of this area is Merlot, a comprehensive range of varietals is available for tasting & for purchasing.
  • Wineries 1 & 2: Enjoy tastings from TWO boutique, and usually family owned, wineries from this wine sub-region. You will be advised of the wineries you can select from at the time of booking. Please note that some of the smaller boutique wineries are not open on certain days or at certain times of the year.
  • From here, travel a scenic route through the acclaimed Gimblett Gravels wine-growing district to Greenmeadows, in Napier.
  • Winery 3: Enjoy tastings at one of the oldest wineries in New Zealand, Church Road Winery. Not only does this winery produce award-winning wines, including Champion Wine of the Show at the 2019 Hawke’s Bay Wine Awards, but it also claimed the inaugural New Zealand Cellar Door of the Year Award in 2019.
  • Winery 4: Visit the cellar door of the iconic Mission Estate Winery in Greenmeadows, the setting that is home, of course, to the highly anticipated annual Mission Concert. With the first vines being planted by French Missionaries in 1851, this winery is steeped in history. Taste their wines. View the photographs. Hear their story.

 

This tour can be customised to meet your requirements.

Customised Private Wine Tours

1 to 6 people

 

This private wine tour experience will be tailor-made to suit your group’s requirements. Choose to include: a winery &/or vineyard tour; your varietal tasting preference; Standard or Premium &/or Private tastings; & the type of lunch venue (full-day tour only). Your tour will include: pick-up & drop-off, travel in a comfortable, modern & air-conditioned vehicle, an informative commentary, product-specific information from knowledgeable cellar-door hosts, a light morning or afternoon tea; and bottled water & snacks. Following your enquiry, we will contact you within 24 hours with any further questions or clarifications, and the cost of this tour. Let’s talk!

Four friends on a wine tasting afternoon pose among the vines.
The charming Toby Buck shows visitors around the historic barrel room at his family owned & run winery, Te Mata Estate.
Sampling wines at Craggy Range Winery, Havelock North
A young woman enjoys a glass of rosé on a sunny autumn afternoon at Clearview Winery in Te Awanga, Hawke’s Bay.

Tour Length: Half-Day

This is a 4-hour tour that includes tastings at 3 wineries. Additional time might be required to accommodate some of the given options. A light morning or afternoon tea is included.

Tour Length: Full-Day

This is a 7-hour tour that includes tastings at 4 to 5 wineries and allows time for a leisurely lunch & some sightseeing. A light morning or afternoon tea is included. Lunch own cost.

Larger Group Private Wine Tours

7 to 34 people

 

Create a memorable occasion to reconnect with family, reinvigorate friendships or to strengthen collegial bonds. Enjoy a drive with family, friends or colleagues through some of Hawke’s Bay’s most scenic countryside. Taste the wine & meet the people who are passionate about it. Learn something. Share something. Laugh lots. Enquire now about a private wine tour experience, tailor-made to suit your group’s requirements. Fill out the Enquiry Form below. We will contact you within 24 hours with any further questions or clarifications, and the cost of this tour. We look forward to welcoming your wine-tasting and fun-loving group aboard! Enquire now!

A large tour group enjoys scrumptious platters at Church Road Winery in Greenmeadows, Napier.
  • Rows of vines, some with frost cloth, are tended by workers at a Te Mata Estate vineyard in Havelock North.
  • A moody sky over the neat rows of vines at Te Mata Vineyard on the outskirts of Havelock North. Photograph by David Kerr.

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