Craggy Range restaurant, Terroir, was voted one of the 20 best winery restaurants in the world by the British newspaper, The Daily Mail, in October last year. But that's not the only reason to visit. The drive through the countryside, the stunningly high-quality wines (white and red, from the Bay and further afield) and the cellar door experience are all equal drawcards. For quality, size and character, Craggy is one of the best wineries in the Bay.
Mission Estate, Hawke's Bay
missionestate.co.nz
It's a big-name winery, producing an impressive amount of wine but Mission Estate has other strings to its wine bow; namely, being the oldest continuously working winery in the country. And its restaurant has one of the best vantage points from which to overlook the Bay. The food over delivers too. This is one of Napier's best lunchtime eateries.
Poppies, Martinborough
poppiesmartinborough.co.nz
Whenever I imagine my dream winery restaurant, this is it. Owners Poppy and Shayne (both former winemakers) also had a dream: to open a laid-back, casual restaurant with great food, top wines and in beautiful surroundings, minus any pretention. This is the result; it opened a couple of years ago and is about a 10-minute walk from the Martinborough town square at 91 Puruatangi Rd. The food is exceptional and the place divine. The wines are not bad either.
Stonyridge Vineyard, Waiheke Island
stonyridge.co.nz
If you're hot-ferrying it to Waiheke, it's worth doing the winery rounds. Stonyridge founder Stephen White is one of the island's key wine pioneers. Check out White's new-wave reds, Luna Negra (made from malbec) and the Pilgrim GSM (a blend of France's Rhone Valley red grapes, grenache, mourvedre and syrah). Enjoy them with a platter on the balcony overlooking this steep, north-facing vineyard. It's worth the visit for the scenery alone.
