Boxes of smashed and charred wine bottles could be seen strewn inside one of the storage sheds, when the Herald was walked through the scene just after 5am today.
Inside the restaurant, the canvas roofing was left melted and hanging from the remains of the ceiling, giving a view into the sky.
There were about 70 firefighters at the scene - on Rukuhia Rd at Ngahinapouri, south of Hamilton City - during the blaze.
About 90 per cent of the building is estimated by firefighters as being damaged.
Vilagrad Winery winemaker and co-owner Jacob Nooyen said although he and his family were shocked by what happened he was stoked that firefighters were able to save his precious winemaking equipment.
He said the family were all hard workers and are determined to re-build.
"Dad's in there now trying to tidy up," he said.
Mr Nooyen said there was enough of the restaurant that was salvageable to get a mobile kitchen up and running in the next month or so.
He hoped to back in business by about October, or before the festive season.
When asked his first thoughts about the fire, after being horrified, he then thought about the wine.
"I was like 'oh God, save the wine', because I'm a winemaker there's so much we put into wines ... It's disappointing but that's part of a fire. The fire brigade did a great job to maintain it.
"We've managed to save the restaurant, which is fantastic and most of the winery."
Mr Nooyen said the most heartbreaking aspect of the fire was the loss of precious family heirlooms, stored in the 100-year-old wine cellar which was badly damaged.
"Luckily we've still got a few photos that haven't been burnt, but we've lost pictures of my great grandfather and my grandfather and my grandmother's wedding. Hopefully we can get copies on the (Internet)."
Mr Nooyen said he and the family had been overwhelmed by well wishers and the local community who had been offering their support and help.
"Yeah, like on Facebook there's already hundreds of comments, if not thousands, from people who have experienced events here, weddings, Christmas parties, in fact half the fire team have been here for various events."
Mr Nooyen said he was really tired and would shoot home soon for a rest.
"I'll probably go and have a glass of port and have a couple hours' sleep."
Earlier estimates by the fire service, during the early hours of the morning, that 90 per cent of the premises were destroyed could now be lowered to about 60 or 70 per cent, Mr Nooyen said, in the light of day.
"It's pretty devastating for the family at the moment but we are hard workers, we will get this place cleaned up and re-build."
Mr Nooyen said the re-build would be made easier as the structure of the building was so old and made up of mostly brick and concrete.
"So we can see that it's just the roofs that will be replaced, but we will have to clear everything out and re-start. But thank God, you know, the 100-year-old winery can stand the test of time."
'I've never seen anything like it'
Nyssa Sharp is used to being woken up in the early hours of the morning by her young daughter, Evie, 15-months.
A few times a night she will get up and feed her and put her back to sleep.
But this morning Evie's cries helped save the Vilagrad Winery.
Mrs Sharp said she had just finished feeding Evie and was going back to bed about 1.50am when she noticed a bright light streaming through her curtains.
"The night before (Viliagrads) had left a spotlight on so I thought it was that. And then I opened up the curtain and thought, 'oh no, that's not a spotlight'."
Mrs Sharp ran outside where she heard a "whirring" noise, which her husband Jason Sharp guessed was the smoke alarm slowly melting.
"I've just never seen anything like it," Mrs Sharp said.
Mr Sharp estimated the flames would have been "40 feet high".
"They would have been as high as the tallest tree (on the property)," he said.
Mr Sharp said he heard at least six explosions, he guessed a mix of LPG cylinders exploding and windows smashing.
They watched as the firefighters turned up and then struggled with not having enough water.
"It was really on fire by the time (firefighters) turned up, there was no mistaking it was on fire. I told 111 that (firefighters) wouldn't have any trouble finding it."
Mrs Sharp said she felt bad as she didn't have any of the Nooyen family phone numbers, as they were worried there could be someone inside, so they called a neighbour for help. Fortunately there wasn't.
The couple felt sorry for the Nooyen's, who had spent their whole lives building the place up.
"There was just nothing that we could do and we felt devastated for them. I just couldn't believe we were watching it.
"We're just glad that no one was hurt."
Another neighbour, one of the first to the scene, said flames were bursting out the front of the property in the kitchen and office block area.
"It was ablaze when I got here. The neighbour up the road rang me and said Vilagrads was on fire, and I said 'it can't be'."
The man, who had lived nearby for more than 40 years, said the fire was devastating as the winery was a piece of Waikato's history.
"This generation built it and developed it into what it is. About 30 years into developing the restaurant business."
The businesses website states that it was set up in 1922 by Ivan Milicich Snr, and is now in its fifth generation with Nooyen brothers, Jacob, Kristian and Adam, taking the helm of the family owned and operated winery, which specialises in fine wine, food and entertainment.
Some devastated family and friends were at the scene, but could only console each other as firefighters brought the fire under control.
Origin of the fire
Waikato fire area commander Roy Breeze confirmed the fire began in the kitchen and office area on the property and was well-involved when firefighters arrived.
"It was spreading in a number of directions, particularly towards the wine making and storage area but we managed to cut it off."
Mr Breeze said fighting the fire was hampered by a lack of a water supply on site so the priority became saving what they could with water that was being delivered to the site by their tankers.
Mr Breeze, who described the winery as iconic, said firefighters efforts were carefully managed due to the approximate 40, 20kg LPG cylinders on the scene.
"Crews were struggling for a water supply, so we had a third alarm attendance, with about a dozen fire appliances and four tankers but we can't rotate them fast enough and we had to prioritise what we have to save," Mr Breeze said.
However despite the large scale damage, firefighters had managed to limit the damage in the restaurant area.
The office block, kitchen, portable cooling sheds and surrounding equipment were all destroyed.
The area of the fire that was well ablaze had to be left to burn, with water being focussed on areas that could be saved including the winemaking section filled with several vats of wine.
"What we couldn't save we've moved."
Hamilton Senior Station Officer Daryl Trim was in the first of two appliances at the scene.
Knowing the blaze was at a winery he immediately called for back-up and water tankers.
"We knew it was a winery and that it had a kitchen and that it would have some gas throughout the place, so these were some hazards we had to deal with. And we had a limited water supply.
"It was well involved when we got here. (Flames) were also being driven by the wind which were pushing it fairly hard as well."
Mr Trim said the fire could prove a wake-up call for rural businesses.
"It's maybe a timely reminder that buildings of a great scale out in the country, that it's good to have an accessible water supply for fire services should a fire happen."
Mr Trim said one of the firefighters hurt his knee, but it was only minor and he was fine.
Water tankers, from surrounding towns including Te Awamutu, Cambridge and Ngaruawahia, have been ferrying water to the scene all morning.
Nobody was inside the building or injured by the fire.
Volunteers were also on hand supplying refreshments and a rest area for firefighters.
Fire safety investigators were also at the scene.
