Five vine dining destinations

Five vine dining destinations

Wine dining in Waiheke

On 1 May, New Zealand will open its borders to international tourism – exciting news for those who locate their happy place amid its countless beaches, coastlines, and many, many vineyards. My own is Waiheke, an island in the North Island’s Hauraki Gulf that’s a 35-minute ferry ride from Auckland (or a very fun 15-minute chopper jaunt, flying over the crater on neighbouring Rangitoto). It packs around 30 small wineries into its 92 square kilometres, many of which also produce excellent boutique olive oils; and half a dozen or so have solidly good food experiences attached.

Among the newer wineries here is Tantalus Estate – 2014 was its first vintage – but it has what is, in conventional terms (and my own experience), arguably Waiheke’s finest restaurant. The menu includes relatively straightforward dishes – oysters, crispy pork, pasture-raised lamb – meticulously sourced and beautifully plated. They grow their own olives, stone fruits and macadamia nuts, and a great deal of their produce (including the edible wildflowers), and make the honey and preserves too. The dining room is the real showcase: a sleek, light-saturated stunner, set right up against the vineyards. 

Several miles further south-east, in a less-trod part of