Waiheke Island Vineyards

Waiheke sits in the Hauraki Gulf close enough to be a commuter island and warm and dry enough, in its rain shadow, to ripen Bordeaux varieties that struggle elsewhere in New Zealand. Plantings began seriously in the 1980s and there are now around thirty producers, most of them very small - a few hectares, hand-picked, sold largely at the cellar door. Cabernet and merlot blends and syrah are the island's reputation; chardonnay and rose fill out the range. Because the vineyards sit on slopes above the gulf, most cellar doors are as much about the view and the restaurant as the wine, and several are booked out for lunch weeks ahead in summer. The island is expensive - ferry, transport and restaurant prices are all higher than the mainland - and a day here costs more than most people budget for.

The main sights

• The Bordeaux reds - cabernet blends and syrah, the island's reputation.
• The scale - around thirty small producers, mostly hand-picked.
• The cellar doors - restaurants and gulf views as much as tastings.
• The setting - vineyards on slopes above the Hauraki Gulf.

When to go

November to April. Harvest is February and March. Book restaurant tables well ahead in summer - the good ones fill. Ferries are frequent but full on summer weekends.

What to expect

Expensive - ferry, island transport and cellar-door prices all add up. Tastings are charged. Getting between vineyards without a car means buses, tours or long walks. Drink-driving enforcement on the island is active.

Nearby

Auckland is a forty-minute ferry; Rangitoto and the gulf islands are close.