New Zealand for Foodies & Wine Lovers

🍷 New Zealand for Foodies & Wine Lovers

From boutique vineyards, and long lazy lunches, to fresh local produce, artisan food and world-class wines, there are plenty of ways to build a holiday around your taste buds.  And the best part? You don't just have to visit a vineyard, taste a wine and move on. You can make the food and wine experience part of the journey.

🍇 Marlborough – Sauvignon Blanc country

If you love Sauvignon Blanc, chances are you've already enjoyed a bottle from Marlborough.  Located at the top of New Zealand's South Island, Marlborough is one of the country's best-known wine regions and is particularly famous for its crisp, aromatic Sauvignon Blanc.  Visiting is a completely different experience.  Imagine cycling between vineyards, stopping for private tastings, enjoying a leisurely lunch overlooking the vines or discovering smaller boutique wineries away from the crowds.  If you're a foodie too, look out for experiences pairing local produce with the region's wines.  This is New Zealand wine country at its most relaxed.

🍷 Hawke's Bay – Wine, food & sunshine

Over on the North Island, Hawke's Bay is another must for food and wine lovers.  The region is known for its excellent wines, particularly reds, and has a wonderful food scene to match.   Spend a day exploring vineyards, enjoy a long lunch among the vines and perhaps combine your wine tasting with a visit to nearby Napier and its famous Art Deco architecture.  It's the kind of place where you can easily lose track of time.  Isn't that exactly what a holiday should be about?

🏔️ Central Otago – Wine with a view

Now for something completely different.  Central Otago is surrounded by some of the South Island's most spectacular landscapes, making wine tasting here a rather beautiful experience. The region is particularly renowned for Pinot Noir, and the combination of dramatic mountains, rugged landscapes and vineyards makes it a memorable addition to a New Zealand itinerary.  Picture sitting outside a vineyard, glass in hand, looking out across the landscape.   Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

🍷 Gisborne – Chardonnay Capital

Heading to the east coast of the North Island, we come to Gisborne, a region with a real passion for wine and a reputation for producing some excellent Chardonnay.  Gisborne was one of the first places in the world to see the sunrise, so there’s something rather fitting about starting your day here with a vineyard breakfast or leisurely morning tasting.  The region's warm, sunny climate is ideal for growing grapes, and Chardonnay is very much one of its stars. Spend a day exploring the vineyards, discovering boutique wineries and sampling local wines, perhaps stopping for a relaxed lunch featuring fresh, locally sourced produce.Gisborne also has a wonderfully laid-back feel.  It's less about rushing from one tasting to the next and more about enjoying the scenery, meeting the people behind the wine and taking your time. If Chardonnay is your favourite, Gisborne definitely deserves a place on your New Zealand wine itinerary. 

🌊 Waiheke Island – Wine just a short trip from Auckland

Fancy escaping the city without travelling too far?  Hop on a ferry from Auckland and head to Waiheke Island.  Just a short journey from the city, Waiheke is home to vineyards, beautiful beaches, restaurants and a wonderfully relaxed island atmosphere.  Spend the day visiting vineyards, enjoying a long lunch, sampling local wines and taking in the coastal scenery before returning to Auckland.  It's not just about the wine though … One of the things I love about travelling around New Zealand is the incredible produce.  Think fresh seafood, locally grown fruit and vegetables, artisan cheeses, premium meats and beautifully prepared dishes showcasing what's grown and produced locally.

So why not make food part of your itinerary too?

You could include:

🍷 Private vineyard tastings

🥂 Wine-paired dining experiences

🍽️ Long lunches overlooking the vines

🧀 Local cheese and produce tastings

👨‍🍳 Cooking experiences using local ingredients

🍇 Boutique winery visits

🐟 Fresh seafood experiences

🍫 Artisan food and chocolate experiences

Make your New Zealand holiday a little more indulgent.  One of my favourite things about tailor-made travel is that your holiday doesn't have to follow a standard itinerary.  If you're a wine lover, we can build vineyards into your route.  If you're passionate about food, we can find experiences around local producers, restaurants and markets.  And if you love both?  Well… New Zealand could be right up your street. 🍷😉

Imagine combining a spectacular South Island road trip with vineyard lunches in Marlborough and Central Otago, before heading north for Hawke's Bay and finishing with a few days on Waiheke Island. Now that's my idea of a holiday.  As I've lived in New Zealand, I can help you look beyond the obvious and create an itinerary that combines the places, experiences and flavours that matter to you.  New Zealand isn't just somewhere you see.  It's somewhere you can taste.  Whether you're dreaming of a wine-filled escape, a food-focused adventure, a spectacular road trip or a little bit of everything, I can create a tailor-made New Zealand journey around you.

Jayne Nesbitt – Travel Counsellor

📞 (01642) 843919

📧 jayne.nesbitt@travelcounsellors.com

🌐 www.travelcounsellors.co.uk/jayne.nesbitt

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