Oh, Waiheke Island, island of wine!

If there is one thing Waiheke Island is famous for, it’s most definitely the wine. There are over 20 Waiheke Vineyards just waiting to be explored and an incredible variety of wine wanting to be tasted. 

All about Waiheke Vineyards:

First things first, though. Exactly where is Waiheke? 

Waiheke Island is one of the many islands in Auckland that dot the Hauraki Gulf. It ranks in the top 3 of the things to do in Auckland and both tourists and locals love to come here and get some island time. You could say Waiheke is everybody’s darling.

How to get to Waiheke Island from Auckland?

The most common way to get to Waiheke Island from Auckland is by ferry. There are two ferry companies that offer the route Auckland - Waiheke. The most frequent Waiheke ferry is Fullers 360. They run approximately every 30 minutes, even more often during the busy time. All the public transport and Waiheke wine tours start from Matiatia, the bay where Fullers 360 arrives.

Fullers 360 is a passenger ferry only while Sealink, the second ferry company, operates a car ferry to Waiheke.

A more exclusive mode of transport is the plane. Yes, you can fly to Waiheke from Auckland. You land pretty much in between two wineries, so you can walk straight from the plane to your first tasting.

You can also fly to Waiheke by seaplane. They take off in Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter and can drop you pretty much on any of the Waiheke beaches. Auckland Seaplanes is also the easiest way to get to Man’O’War winery at the Eastern end of the island.

How many wineries should we visit?

You could technically visit many of the Waiheke Island wineries if you’re ambitious. There’s a hop-on / hop-off bus that circulates approximately every 10 minutes between most of the wineries. Out of personal experience, I find that three to four wineries make for a good day, especially if you combine it with some walking or chilling at the beaches. You can take your time to taste the wines, maybe some local olives and just enjoy.

How much does the wine tasting cost at the cellar doors?

All of the Waiheke Island vineyards charge approximately the same for a tasting. The price ranges around NZD 10 - 20 and you’ll get to taste three to five different wines. That’s in tasting sizes, of course, we don’t want you drunk after the first winery already. If you count the tasters together, it makes about one full glass of wine per winery.

Some wineries won’t charge for the tasting when you purchase their wine.

Where are the Waiheke wineries located?

Waiheke Island is quite large. However, most of the wineries can be found in the Eastern part. Some of them are close enough to each other that you can walk from one to the next while some require the bus to travel between them.

The only winery at the Eastern tip of the island is Man o’War Winery. The two ways of reaching it are by renting a car or taking the floatplane.

To get a bit of an idea of which winery is where, here’s the complete Waiheke vineyard map. The yellow icons are the wineries we visited and talk about below, the turquoise icons still need to be tried.

Enough talking now, here’s the list of wineries for you and what to expect of the vineyards. I’m going to list the ones that we’ve visited so far as I can tell you from first-hand experience. Please note: The list will be extended as we keep drinking our way through the Waiheke vineyards, so make sure you keep coming back and read more.

One of the biggest wineries on Waiheke and definitely one of the most popular. It’s located close to the ferry terminal and one of Waiheke Explorer’s first bus stops.

Mudbrick winery has a lovely garden to walk through, full of edible plants like lavender, rosemary, artichokes and much more. The building is made of brick, plants climbing up the walls. It has a Mediterranean feel to it.

There are two eateries at Mudbrick vineyard, a fine-dining restaurant and the more casual bistro. Both have amazing views over the vines and the ocean, you can see all the way to Auckland and the Sky Tower. 

The food is a little pricey but well worth it. Everything is freshly made, some of it from scratch and extremely tasty (the gnocchi were divine!). 

The tasting takes place in the building. There are two tasting menus to choose from, lighter wines and heavier ones.

We had to wait a while until it was our turn to order as it was quite busy. I must admit we felt a little ignored in between the groups and I would’ve liked to hear a bit more about the wines. But they were tasty nevertheless.

Just a couple minutes walk down the road of Mudbrick is Jurassic Ridge. This winery is quite the opposite of Mudbrick. It’s a small, family-owned, boutique vineyard. The owner and his wife do all of the work themselves, which is why the cellar door isn’t always open (ie in harvesting season).

The vineyard is the retirement project of Lance, the owner. The neurosurgeon - turned - winemaker produces his wine like they used to do in ancient Rome and France. The grapes ripen in huge clay pots as oak barrels would alter the taste.

There are no weird additional ingredients to make the wine drinkable faster (the list other wineries use was quite the eye-opener. I’ll never look at cheaper wine the same way. Still drinking it, though). Using this old technique without additives makes Jurassic Ridge’s wine the only strictly vegan wine on Waiheke. 

Jurassic Ridge is currently in my personal top 3 of the Waiheke vineyards. It’s small, it’s personal, charming and the wine made with a lot of love.

Ultra-modern and stylish building with a lot of concrete, clear lines and structures, artwork hanging on the walls. 

Like Mudbrick, Cable Bay winery has 2 restaurants, one fancier and the other more of a cafe/bistro. It seems like this would be a great place to sit and eat on a rainy day as the terrace is fully covered but you’re still kind of sitting outside (I don’t know about you, but I like the feeling of sitting outside in a restaurant, even if it’s covered).

The wine tasting area is big, modern and has a window that overlooks the winemaking room. You can see the barrels where the wine ripens and watch people working on making great wine.

Cable Bay is a great Waiheke winery for the people who love architecture and sleek, modern structures.  Personally, I found it too modern, but you can’t hit everyone’s taste. And that’s the beauty of having so many wineries on Waiheke, you can choose whichever one you like best.

Update November 2022: Please don’t visit Cable Bay until further notice!
Their current management is appalling and does not know how to run a hospitality business! I had a group of customers with a massive waiting time (on pre-ordered meals!) and the most shocking customer service ever! Check out Cable Bay’s Google reviews and you’ll see this was not a one-off. I’ll update my page again once I know their customer experience has improved. Good thing there are many more wineries to choose from on Waiheke Island ;-)

Another favourite of mine. Obsidian winery is small, just the cellar door and a small, nice outdoor area. And it sits in the midst of some vineyards. Its name comes from the volcanic stone, and Obsidian stones are the centrepieces on the tables.

There’s no restaurant here, just the wine, lovely staff and a really nice atmosphere. 

At Obsidian was also the start (or the end) of the Waiheke Wine Trail that connected six of the wineries via a walking track through the vines and olive trees. Unfortunately, the trail no longer exists.

As the name suggests, Casita Miro is influenced by Spain. The decor and mosaic stone art make you feel like you’re transported right into Park Güell in Barcelona.

The restaurant serves Spanish tapas like Jamon Iberico, Queso Manchego, squid, Paella… Think of any tapas, they serve it. 

The wine tasting is in a separate area, above the restaurant and boasting wonderful views of the ocean. The tasting was great, the dedicated staff take a lot of time to explain the taste and intention behind the individual wines.

Lovely winery with a European feel. The main building is overgrown with climbing ivy, as is the pergola of their cafe. 

There’s a stylish deck with its own bar, lounges and sun umbrellas. Occasionally, there’s a DJ playing chillout sounds. 

The best place to sit, however, is on a beanbag under mature olive trees, looking out over the vines. There are little tables to place your glass while you relax. It couldn’t be any better.

If you’d like to join their wine tasting, you might have to wait a while until they got a small group together. Being quite a popular and busy winery, I like that they decided on grouping people together for the tasting instead of trying to serve people individually. That way no one misses out on learning about the varietals.

By the way, Stonyridge also offers Yoga classes.

Now, this is a slightly different kind of winery. While, of course, there’s wine to taste, Wild on Waiheke specialises more in experiences. 

Visitors can try their luck in laser ‘claybird’ shooting or unleash their inner Hunger Games character at archery in the vines. They also have heaps of free games, like giant chess, as well as a playground for the kids.

Wine on Waiheke is popular for functions, team building and hens and stag do’s. 

They also have their own brewery on site, which makes Wine on Waiheke a favourite for craft beer and cider lovers.

Te Motu is a lovely smaller winery. The name is Maori and literally means ‘the island’, which I find is pretty accurate. When we visited, the cellar door was closed but we could do the wine tasting in the Shed, which is Te Motu’s restaurant. The wines were delicious and I personally liked the Rosé best. The explanation of the wines we tasted was really interesting and the food smelled and looked utterly mouth-watering (we didn’t try any, though, but we’re sure it tastes just as amazing).
On a side note, the loveliest and best-behaved doggo lives in Te Motu Winery and he’s even got his own Instagram account! Follow him @skipperdunleavy

As a garden lover, this vineyard is one of my personal favourites. The estate is only accessible on foot for the public (using the same driveway as Stonyridge and Te Motu). To get to the winery, you need to first walk along the vineyards which feels very private, despite it being a big restaurant.

For those who like to explore, there’s a hidden wooden walkway into a small valley full of native trees and a clearing with a wooden swing. It looks like there are occasional events and functions happening there but when there’s no event, it’s very peaceful.

Tantalus Estate sits in a big, colourful garden full with flowers, edible shrubs and grasses that catch your attention. You can choose to either sit on bean bags in the garden, in the restaurant or downstairs in the Brewer’s Lounge. Yes, they not only make delicious wine, Tantalus has its own brewery, too.

Batch Winery is one of the more classical Waiheke wineries. Sitting majestically on the top of a hill, Batch has amazing views towards Auckland, making it a great place to eat dinner at Thomas’s Batch restaurant and watching the sunset! 

The building is modern and beautiful, their garden neatly trimmed. For small groups, there’s a private ‘hedge’ out in the garden, pretty much an open outdoor function room. It’s perfect to celebrate birthdays and other occasions with friends and family. 

Batch Winery is very close to Waiheke’s airfield, so why not arrive in style and fly to Waiheke with Waiheke Wings.

A small and cute winery right next to the Waiheke Airfield. Their terrace and red and white checkered table cloths reminded me a lot of Italy (although the theme is French, according to their website. Let’s just say Mediterranean, then).

Peacock Sky has different types of tastings: lighter wines, the standard tasting and VIP tasting. They differ mainly in the wine varietals, from lighter white wines to the reserve red wines.

As one of the few Waiheke vineyards, all tastings come with canape food pairings that are already included in the price. 

If you’re interested to see how wine the process works from the grape on the vine to the finished wine in the glass, I suggest you book their vineyard tour.

Their restaurant, Le Côté de la Colline, is open from Thursday to Sunday for lunch. If you’ve never tried Steak Tartare before (a very French dish that isn’t snails), now is your chance! 

Man O’War is an off-the-beaten-path winery and restaurant on Waiheke’s east coast. The easiest way to reach them is either by boat, helicopter or by booking a seat on their shuttle bus from Matiatia ferry terminal (where Fullers360 docks).

They’re the only beachfront winery on Waiheke and the whole vineyard is a stunning 4500 acres big! Due to its location right on the beach, Man O’War is extremely popular with boaties. The sheltered bay is dotted with anchored boats while the passengers are ashore for a drink.

Man O’War is a great winery for Waiheke repeaters. Because it’s the only cellar door in the area out east and hard to reach (about 40 minutes drive by car over a gravel road) it’s not the ideal winery for first-time visitors (unless you arrive and leave by helicopter)

Yeah ok, so technically there’s no wine to be had at Rangihoua Estate (they might sell the neighbouring Hay Paddock, though). Rangihoua Estate isn’t a winery, they collect their own and other estates’ olives and press them into delicious olive oil.

The lovely people at Rangihoua will tell you everything about their olives and there’s even the possibility to join a tour to learn more about the process.

The olive oil tasting at Rangihoua Estate is free of charge and their oils are delicious! You can also taste their Tamarind chutney as well as a yummy herb spread similar to pesto.

Waiheke is the best island for a short getaway from Auckland. Is ultra-close but feels a world away, thanks to its micro-climate, beaches, and - of course - the wineries! So why not stay there for a night or two for some proper de-stressing?

On our very own booking site Weekend Getaways NZ, you’ll find several options for your stay-over on Waiheke for every budget.

Check out our Waiheke Getaways here!

There are countless ways to visit the many Waiheke vineyards. The easiest way to get around without accidentally ending up on the other side of the island is joining one of the Waiheke wine tours. 

Here are a few of the most popular wine tours:

The Favourite: Hop-on/Hop-off Waiheke Explorer Bus

The Waiheke Explorer Bus gives you a perfect combination of independence and guided tour. While you can decide how many of the Waiheke wineries you want to see and how long you want to stay there, you still won’t miss out on the commentary on board of the bus between the wineries.

The Fullers Auckland - Waiheke ferry is included in the price, but tastings need to be paid on top of the Waiheke Explorer ticket.

Food and Wine Tasting Tours with Ananda Tours

Ananda is the Sanskrit word for ‘bliss’ and Ananda Tours will make sure you have the most blissful time exploring both popular and off-the-beaten-track wineries on Waiheke.

A small local company, the staff live and breathe for the gem that is Waiheke Island. They’ve operated on the island for over twenty years, know all the Waiheke wineries and other artisan products from small producers and love taking you there.

Combine your wine tour with a scenic flight

How can you add even more style to your Waiheke Island trip? Combine it with a scenic flight over the island and Waitemata Harbour!

Waiheke Wings’ little airport is perfectly sandwiched between wineries (Bach and Peacock Sky) and Ecozip Adventures, Waiheke’s ziplining experience.
In their most popular combo, you take the ferry from Auckland to Waiheke, get picked up by the Ecozip guys for some zippy action. A short walk takes you to the grassy airport for your 30-minute scenic flight before you’re off to one of their partnering wineries for a delicious lunch. It doesn’t get any better than this!

Twilight Wine and Dine Tour

Switch on the romance! On the Twilight Wine and Dine Tour, you’ll first visit Stonyridge Winery for a wine tasting. You then change to Batch Winery, where you’ll get a vineyard visit as well as a tasting. Round off your evening with a 2-course dinner at Thomas Bach restaurant, overlooking the ocean and watching the sunset. Bliss.

And what is your favourite Waiheke winery or Waiheke wine tour? Any suggestions which winery we should visit next to tick off our list? Let me know in the comments below! 

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