Deep in the heart of Hawke’s Bay lies the country’s oldest winemaking property – Te Mata Estate.

Cellar door season is in full swing, and the summer season brings wine tasters into the regions in hordes. Now is a better time than ever to take advice from expert operators on facilitating the ideal cellar door experience, and bring it to your own cellar door. 

Boutique wine businesses could pick up some cues from Philip and Terry Hall, an enterprising British couple who took over a small winery in the heart of Hawke’s Bay’s Gimblett Gravels soon after the global economy started roughing up.

Tucked away in the top north-west corner of the South Island the stunningly scenic Golden Bay area is home to three wineries. While part of the wider Nelson region, Golden Bay has slipped under the radar from a winemaking point of view. However when you look at the climate and soil structures it is not surprising there are some outstanding wines being produced in the region.