Across the country, vineyards are transforming from vibrant green hues to the warm yellows, deep oranges and rich reds of autumn. Most grapes may now be harvested, but this season of mists and mellow fruitfulness is a wonderful time of year to make a trip into one of our picturesque wine regions. While some cellar doors closed during vintage, many are again now welcoming visitors for cosy cellar door tastings over the cooler months.
A taste of the vintage
Though the vineyards are becoming quiet, there's plenty of activity in the wineries, which are full of the sights and smells of this vintage's freshly fermenting and maturing wine. Some offer the opportunity to experience the vintage buzz first hand. At Nelson's Gravity Wines you can explore its remarkable gravity fed winery on a tailormade tour with winemaker Brett Burmingham, tasting the new vintage straight from the tank or barrel.
Down in Central Otago, Gibbston Valley offers a behind the scenes look at the making of its handcrafted pinot noirs, which can also be sampled in the tasting that's part of the winery tour. This also takes in the winery's Home Block, the region's oldest vineyard, and ends up in country's largest wine cave.
On May 6, it’s International Sauvignon Blanc Day, a great time to head to the variety’s heartland of Marlborough.
Rock Ferry is hosting a special Organic Sauvignon day in May. Photo / Supplied
For the athletically inclined, May 13 is the Saint Clair Vineyard Half Marathon. Dubbed “the most scenic half marathon in New Zealand”, the course winds through vineyards aflame with autumn colours and alongside the Wairau River. There’s also a shorter course, with both routes including plentiful foodie treats and surprises. These finish at the Saint Clair Vineyard Kitchen, where the less energetic can sample wines and savour lunch by a roaring fire five days a week. Saint Clair is just one of the cellar doors on Marlborough’s Winter Fireplace Trail highlighting wine tasting hot spots across the region.
The Gibbston Valley and Central Otago are the go-to for a mid-autumn tasting tour. Photo / Supplied
Log fires and luxury
A warm welcome also awaits in Wairarapa. For those looking for a luxury break, guests at Wharekauhau Lodge can not only bask in the rosy glow of the open fires in all its villas, but be thoroughly infused with wine culture. Set in a country estate overlooking Palliser Bay, it belongs to the Foley family, who now own local wine legends such as Martinborough Vineyard and the ascendant Te Kairanga. The Lodge boasts a 5000-bottle wine cellar, which includes the private "Sommelier's Table" tasting and dining room overseen by its in-house sommelier, and offers private wine tours by land or air. Venture into nearby Martinborough, and explore myriad cellar doors, such a Colombo, where you can enjoy a fireside wine flight, perhaps accompanied by one of their fantastic pizzas.
Autumn urban adventures
If you don't want to venture into the wilds, there are a growing number of winery experiences that can be had in town. In Napier, the classic Art Deco "Rothmans" building is home to Tony Bish's Urban Winery. The chardonnay specialist makes a number of his wines in striking egg-shaped concrete and oak fermenters, which you can view as you taste his expressive wines, or other flights from Hawke's Bay. It also serves tapas-style plates and hosts lively weekend music events.
The Art Deco 'Rothmans' building is home to Tony Bish's Urban Winery. Photo / Supplied, Hawke's Bay Tourism
Just over in Havelock North, Smith & Sheth have their smart Village Oenotheque and Cellar Door where you can taste a flight of their CRU wines, partake of a small plate, and enjoy a glass of wine from its interesting wider wine list. Its Heretaunga Studio - a fusion of theatre, barrel cellar and lounge - also takes visitors on a sensory tour of some of the winery group's top wines.
And if you can't get out of Auckland you can still experience a taste of the south at the Parnell Muster. Hosted at the Crown Range Cellar Lounge, every Thursday over autumn it's serving a selection of great wines from Central Otago in a stylish setting with decor inspired by the region.
Harvest feasting
Tussock Hill's new Cellar Door and Restaurant looking out over Christchurch above its organic Port Hills vineyard is literally within the city limits. Seasonal fare is central to its menu, created by rising star chef, Jackson Mehlhopt. Try dishes such as smoky pickled beetroot and barbecued lamb shoulder with one of the pinot noirs from its Home or Waipara vineyard.
Autumn is a particularly bountiful time for local produce, which is also exquisitely served up at the award-winning restaurant at Amisfield. This is matched with its Central Otago wines, including older vintages. Chef Vaughan Mabee masterfully works with Southern flavours, which over autumn might include foraged mushrooms, ember-cooked meats or muttonbird.
Chef Vaughan Mabee's foraged mushrooms at the Amisfield winery. Photo / Supplied
If you’re in Central, make sure you drop by Mt Rosa’s new Gibbston tasting room. Cosy up in one of the nooks or by the huge open fire in its wood-clad woolshed style building and taste the wide range of wines from the vineyard that surrounds it. As one of the last places in the country to pick its grapes, you may even catch the tail end of the 2023 harvest.
This story was first published on April 28, 2022 but has been updated with current information.
