The best Waiheke wineries to visit for wine tasting, food, and sunset views
A guide to Waiheke wineries for anyone who appreciates a good view as much as a good glass
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you book through those links. I appreciate your support!
Waiheke Island has around 30 boutique vineyards, most of which specialise in Bordeaux-style reds; the island is on a similar latitude to the French region. The vines on Waiheke are rooted in volcanic clay soil, which becomes dry and hard in summer, while salty sea breezes keep the air dry and cool. The ocean around the island insulates the grapes from extreme temperatures, and the hilly terrain places the grapes on slopes ideally positioned to lap up the plentiful sun. Under these conditions, winemakers produce premium wines from an island that is less than 20 kilometres across.
The bigger vineyards are naturally the most visited, but they are also the least personal and the most likely to be frequented by large groups — either on tours or in packs of friends dressed to the nines (or dressed up; this is a prime hen’s party destination) and bent on drinking as much as possible. My favourites are the smaller vineyards. There are still family-owned vineyards on the island, where everything feels a little more personal.
Waiheke is only a 40-minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland, so you can head over for the day and visit two or three vineyards. Three is probably the maximum — that lets you appreciate the story of each vineyard more, and if you try to do more than three tastings you probably won’t remember the last one anyway.
Double check opening hours before you go, as most are only open towards the end of the week and keep lunch hours only
Getting around the wineries
The tasting room at Man o’War
Island Direct ferries are smaller and quieter, but Fullers are more convenient — buy a ticket for Fullers online and you can just walk up, join the queue, and board the next ferry. The price is roughly the same for both of them.
Fullers also has a combined ferry/hop on hop off bus ticket, which will get you to all of the key places on the island (going where the public bus doesn’t).
You can take public buses between some wineries; it’s easy to visit Te Motu, Tantalus, Stonyridge, and even Casita Miro via the public bus network (plus a little walking).
A tour is the easiest option. That way you won’t have to worry about lining up reservations for tastings and lunch, or having to navigate transport when tipsy. I highly recommend Kiwi Connect — their scenic wine tour takes in views as well as vineyards. They only have small vehicles, which means small groups (this in contrast to a lot of other wine tours on Waiheke, which hustle people on and off large buses) and the vans are electric.
Renting a car gives you the freedom to explore all corners of the island — explore options on Discover Cars.
Or, rent an e-bike for a more adventurous way of exploring. Just be warned that Waiheke has lots of hills.
Te Motu Vineyard
FAMILY OWNED | EXCELLENT LUNCH RESTAURANT | SEASONAL DINING
A huge, slightly charred loaf of focaccia was the first thing I saw walking in the door of Te Motu’s The Shed restaurant, resting on a bench by the kitchen. It was so fresh, the portion I ordered was still steaming when it was placed on my table. The food at Te Motu is superb, one of the best places to eat on Waiheke. The short but sweet menu is focused on seasonal ingredients; produce comes from their kitchen garden.
The wine produced at family-run Te Motu all comes from estate-grown grapes, with Bordeaux styled blended red wines (Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec) designed for aging and cellaring. My wine tasting took place seated at a table in the restaurant. The setting is relaxed and intimate, with painted black corrugated iron walls and concrete bathroom basins adding to the shed theme.
At Casita Miro you’ll see Gaudi-esque mosaics and olive trees scattered around the Spanish-inspired grounds. The beautiful restaurant, richly decorated with bold wallpaper and colourful tiles, is perfectly positioned to catch sunbeams — you can even see the sea from inside. In the summer months, you can eat and drink from the comfort of bean bags and blankets laid out under olive trees in their garden.
The food is exceptional. I highly recommend ordering pan y salsas from the tapas menu, which includes homemade focaccia, alongside olives and olive oil produced from the trees on the lawn outside. The paprika flavoured olive oil is delicious with Casita Miro’s Summer Aphrodisiac red blend wine.
To get there, you can take the public bus to the last stop at Onetangi beach, then walk to Casita Miro in less than 10 minutes (but be warned, it is uphill). Or, take a food and wine tour which stops at Casita Miro for lunch.
Elevated in all senses of the word, Mudbrick offers classy dining overlooking the harbour. Set in lavender-scented gardens with sweeping sea views, Mudbrick is also conveniently located closer to Oneroa — you could walk there in 30 minutes if you’re up for it, and it’s 40 minutes walking or a 5-minute drive to the Matiatia Ferry Terminal. Mudbrick is easily the best choice for a glass of wine at sunset, with views of Rangitoto that are tinted dreamy gold in the last hour of the day. The rooftop terrace is ideal for golden hour drinks, plus both a bistro and a restaurant for dining.
Kennedy Point Vineyard
📍 44 Donald Bruce Road, Surfdale
WINE TASTING | OLIVE OIL TASTING | FAMILY OWNED
Vines with a view of the sea at Kennedy Point (they are covered to stop the birds stealing all the grapes)
Kennedy Point is a little family owned vineyard that is the only certified organic wine-growing property on Waiheke (Awaroa is still awaiting certification). It’s also in one of the prettiest locations on the island, overlooking Kennedy Bay.
Kennedy Point is a boutique winery producing only around 8,000 bottles each year. In keeping with the small production, they only sell their wine at the vineyard or online.
Quiet seating overlooks the water, with further tables under olive trees in the garden. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to say hello to their two Highland cattle, who graze placidly under 400-year-old pohutukawa trees. The Syrah at Kennedy Point is a standout — a red velvet wine that has scooped international awards, including Best Syrah in the World. Tastings also include olive oil pressed from the trees in their garden.
Man O War
Man O’ War is one of Waiheke’s most picturesque vineyards, as it’s the only one right by a beach. In fact, it’s the only vineyard in all of New Zealand to be right on the beach.
By dint of its location on the remote western edge of the island, it’s also one of the most exclusive. Ideally you need a car — or a boat — to get there (other options include the Eastern Explorer Hop On Hop Off, or Kiwi Connect’s ‘Far End’ tour) but it’s worth the additional effort to be able to savour the excellent rose in the breezy garden setting right by the water.
Man O’War is also an ideal lunch spot, as they have plenty of outdoor seating, very efficient service, and food that comes out fast (at some wineries, you could be in for a one hour wait — not at Man O’War. The food isn’t exactly knock your socks off exceptional, but you can’t fault the speed and ease with which they get it to you.)
Make sure you book in advance to secure your lunch spot if you plan on eating there.
Awaroa Organic Vineyard
The garden at Awaroa is delightfully laid back and rustic
Both the settings and the wines feel down to earth and approachable
A little hidden gem of a Waiheke vineyard, Awaroa Organic Vineyard produces small batches of organic wine. The tasting room has a lovely homey feel, perched on top of a hill with views of vines rolling down into native bush. You can order grazing platters to enjoy with your wine tastings, and enjoy views of hills and pine forests.
Postage Stamp Wines
Located on the Onetangi straight, surrounded by much bigger and flashier vineyards — you can see Tantalus from the garden — Postage Stamp has a lovely garden area with laid-back vibes, with plenty of rustic wood and wine barrels, and the staff are friendly and down to earth.
The wine tasting was delivered as a flight rather than individual pours, and included wine from both the Postage Stamp and Obsidian labels (Obsidian being an established vineyard taken over by the owners of Postage Stamp). The Viognier was a highlight. This is a good choice if you’re not planning on eating, and want a quieter alternative to the bigger wineries.
Allpress Olive Groves and Bistro Allpress
The bistro terrace
The Allpress shop
Olive oil tasting
Although not a winery, Allpress Olive Groves is well worth visiting while on the island. Waiheke’s microclimate is perfect for growing olives; the dusky green trees are a common sight in winery gardens around the island and some (including Casita Miro and Kennedy Point) produce their own olive oil. At Allpress Olive Groves, olive oil production is the main event, instead of the side gig.
The business (which gets its name from the founder, Michael Allpress, who also founded the coffee brand Allpress Espresso) grows and mills their own olive oils, and in late 2025 opened the brand new Bistro Allpress as a destination for good food that lets olive oil shine. And by that I mean the woodfired pizzas come drizzled with liquid gold, and will leave your fingers slick with oil, in a lavish way. The bistro building is an airy, light filled space accented in pale wood. The outside terrace is set in an amphitheater-like space surrounded by hills lined with olive trees.
There is a tasting room and store on site as well, where you can taste the range of handcrafted extra virgin olive oils and learn how Allpress grow, harvest and mill olives.
The details
There is a public bus stop right outside, for easy access by bus
Walk ins for the bistro are welcome
AUTHOR BIO
I’m a freelance travel writer from New Zealand with bylines in National Geographic Travel, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and more.
I’ve travelled up and down beautiful Aotearoa and I love sharing my recommendations for the best places to visit in New Zealand.
