Waiheke Island Wine

Waiheke Island sits in the Hauraki Gulf a short ferry ride from Auckland, and its warm, sheltered microclimate, drier and sunnier than the mainland, has made it one of New Zealand's most sought-after addresses for premium red wine. Bordeaux-style blends built around Merlot and Cabernet Franc lead the way, grown on small, low-yielding vineyards that keep production limited and prices accordingly high. Syrah performs well here too, benefiting from the same maritime warmth. Boutique winemaking dominates the island, with most producers working on a scale closer to a garden than a commercial vineyard. For Merlot more broadly, Merlot covers examples from every region we carry, and New Zealand Wine covers everything else on offer.