The 12 Wine Tastings in New Zealand We Would Book

1.Waiheke island Wine Tours – PREMIUM wine tasting MAX 11 clients !

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,378 reviews · from $155Our pick

Meet your guide at Matiatia Wharf after the Auckland ferry and spend about six hours touring Waiheke, stopping at three boutique vineyards for premium tastings, including a food and wine pairing. Guides such as Oliver, Glenn, and Melita add local stories, scenic stops, and transport to lunch and the ferry. Lunch and ferry tickets cost extra.

“Our guide was so passionate and knowledgeable about the area and its history. You get so much more than a wine tour with this experience. The wineries were thoughtfully selected and offered a great range.”

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2.Beyond the Vines – Full-Day Marlborough Wine Tasting Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 438 reviews · from $136

Spend about six hours visiting Marlborough wineries by air-conditioned vehicle, with pickup in Picton or Blenheim. Taste Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Pinot Noir, and smaller-production wines. Guides such as Gavin, Lynley, Hamish, and Keith add local stories and wine know-how. Lunch at Saint Clair or another winery is separate.

“Gavin was the best tour guide we’ve had for a wine tasting so far!! It was like driving around with your best friend for the day! The wineries around here are so beautiful and he knew all the little boutique spots to visit. Cannot recommend this tour enough, and if you can request Gavin - DO IT!! We were so excited to visit the Marlborough and it definitely did not disappoint. Ally & Jake.”

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3.Waiheke Island: Scenic Island Wine Tour & Local Wine Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 218 reviews · 4 - 5 hours · from $113

Spend 4 to 5 hours touring Waiheke with a local Kiwi guide such as Nooroa, Caleb, Grant, or Sharon. Choose four wineries and lunch time, or a shorter double-decker tour with two wineries, a charcuterie board, onboard tastings, Oneroa Village, and a beach walk. Ferry tickets and lunch are separate.

“would have liked to be dropped off somewhere on the island at the end instead of just the ferry”

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4.Napier: Afternoon Wine Tasting + visit Silky Oaks Chocolates

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 135 reviews · from $121

Spend about five and a half hours tasting Hawke’s Bay wines without driving. Guide Ross collects you at your accommodation, visits Mission Estate and other local wineries, stops at Roys Hill and Silky Oaks Chocolates, and provides cheese, biscuits, water, and a souvenir tasting glass. Stops may change with winery hours and group logistics.

“Really tasty wine and gin (it's easy to fall on crappy wine in NZ sadly), generous pours in every venue. Knowledgable, detailed explanations in every winery, and by Ross the guide throughout the way! The groups are small and intimate, so you don't feel like a cruise herd anywhere :) and the pickup/drop off from any point you are is really convenient.”

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5.Wine Tasting Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 104 reviews · from $134

Travel from Queenstown to Gibbston in a premium Mercedes van for four cellar-door visits and 18+ tastings. You’ll explore Gibbston Valley’s underground wine cave, stop for lunch at Kinross, and finish at Mt Rosa and The Church. Guides such as Do, Shanay, and Alana are known for warm, well-informed hosting.

“Lovely guide/driver and wonderful selection of different vineyards and wines.”

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6.Napier: Art-Deco + Te Mata Peak+ Garden Walk + Wine Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 99 reviews · 3h 30m · from $89Best value

Spend 3.5 hours with a local guide such as Ross or John, traveling by small minibus from Napier’s port shuttle stop to Te Mata Peak, Bluff Hill, a private garden, Art Deco streets, and Askerne Estate. Expect five or more local wines, a seated tasting, and a small group of no more than 13 people.

“Our guide provided a great tour of Napier town and narration of its history. The trip up to Te Mata peak gave us wonderful views over the countryside and ocean and we enjoyed tasting the varieties of honey at the farm stop. The highlight of the trip was tasting the local varieties of wine and cheeses at the vineyard.”

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7.Gourmet Food and Wine Tour with Lunch and Wine Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 83 reviews · 6h 30m · from $196

Spend 6.5 hours with a small group visiting premium vineyards in Gibbston, Cromwell, and Bannockburn. Expect a wine-cave tasting, local cheese, a five-dish barrel-cooked lunch with matched wines, and stops in Arrowtown and Old Cromwell. Guides such as John, Lindsay, Paul, and Muza add local stories along the way.

“Tour started on time, the mini tour bus was comfortable and we had an awesome tour guide Muza. He was very knowledgable and fun throughout the whole day and kept us on schedule. The wineries and food were excellent and a great way to try new wines local to the area. I would highly recommend this tour.”

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8.Marlborough Icons Tour – Wine tasting + Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 76 reviews · from $198

Spend about 6.5 hours pairing two Marlborough winery visits with a seafood cruise through Queen Charlotte Sound. Taste local wines, enjoy a light lunch, and sample salmon and greenshell mussels. Guides have included Heather, Matt, Job, Sam, Pete, Andrew, and Graham. Pickup is available from central Blenheim, with Picton pickup by arrangement.

“The wine tastings were interesting in that the presenters allowed us to taste wines from various areas owned by the winery. The presenters were knowledgeable and didn't try to sell us wine. The cruise toured the Sound, and we had a hearty meal of green lipped mussels and salmon.”

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9.Marlborough: Wineries Visit and Tasting Session

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 69 reviews · 4 hours · from $104

Visit three Marlborough wineries in about four hours, tasting 4 to 6 wines at each stop while guides such as Bruce, Jim, and Stephen share local wine knowledge. Transport from Blenheim is included. Food is not, so eat lunch first.

“Ray was a very nice and knowledgeable guide. The selection of wineries was good, too. Nice mixture of different approaches to wine making”

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10.Small-Group Kumeu Wine Country Tour with Wine Tastings & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 68 reviews · from $192

Spend about five hours sampling New Zealand wines at three Kumeu wineries, with lunch and a tasting at Soljans Winery. Your guide handles the driving from Auckland, and the group is capped at 14. The afternoon also includes Muriwai Beach, though the gannet colony access is currently closed.

“This was a fantastic day! The pace is perfect, group size is nice and the wineries visited and lunch were all amazing. Learned a few things about wine making here and NZ in general. Our guide Tony was perfect. Thanks for a great experience!”

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11.Taste the Valley Wine Tour in Marlborough with Wine Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 60 reviews

Spend four to five hours visiting Marlborough cellar doors with a professional guide, tasting standard pours, and riding door to door from Blenheim. Groups are capped at 11, with guides such as Nicola and Phill offering commentary along the way. Lunch is possible at a winery, but you pay for it separately.

“Very nice tour! All of the wine tastings were done by very passionate and knowledgeable people. Great choice of wine at each stop.”

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12.Full-Day Wine Tasting Tour in Auckland with 3-Course Vineyard Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 31 reviews · from $123

Spend about five hours touring West Auckland’s Kumeu Wine Trail with a guide such as David, tasting wines at local vineyards and enjoying a three-course lunch with drinks. The route includes Hunting Lodge, Soljans Estate, and Westbrook Winery. Pickup is offered, groups are capped at 16, and all participants must be 18 or older.

“David was an exceptional tour guide. Could not have asked for a better person. We came from Canada and were only expecting him to talk about wine. We also got an in depth history on Auckland. He went above and beyond. Highly recommended. You will not be disappointed!!”

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