혹스베이 와이너리 가이드: 네이피어·해브록 노스 셀러도어 고르는 법과 대표 와인(레드 블렌드·시라·샤르도네)

If you are staying in Napier or Hastings and wondering what Hawke's Bay wine is known for and which winery cellar doors to start with, this guide is for you. It explains the region's signature styles (red blends, Syrah and Chardonnay), what sub-region names such as the Gimblett Gravels mean, and how to choose cellar doors by area. Tasting fees, opening hours and booking rules for four wineries are set out in a table, taken from their official pages on 30 September 2026. Prices and hours change often, so check the official page again just before you go.

What kind of wine region is Hawke's Bay?

Hawke's Bay, on the east coast of the North Island, is New Zealand's second-largest wine region. According to New Zealand Winegrowers' Hawke's Bay region page, Marist missionaries planted the first vines here in 1851. New Zealand Winegrowers' Hawke's Bay media story and Hawke's Bay Tourism describe it as the country's oldest wine region. The 2026 vineyard register lists about 4,526 ha of planted vineyards, around 10% of the national total.

Where Marlborough is famous for Sauvignon Blanc, Hawke's Bay is best known for red blends and Chardonnay. The region also makes Syrah, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and aromatic whites. Its Sauvignon Blanc is described as riper and rounder, with lower acidity and tropical fruit flavours.

The three signature styles

Tasting flights usually move from whites to reds. To try all three, ask for Chardonnay, then Syrah, then the red blend. Each cellar door pours different wines, so check first whether the variety you want is on the list.

Reading the labels: Gimblett Gravels and the sub-regions

Hawke's Bay labels often name a sub-region. New Zealand Winegrowers groups them roughly like this:

• Coastal: Bay View, Te Awanga
• Hills: Havelock North, Maraekakaho
• Alluvial plains: Gimblett Gravels, Bridge Pa Triangle, Taradale, Meeanee
• River valleys and Central Hawke's Bay: Central Hawke's Bay rises to about 300 m and is cooler.

The name you will see most is the Gimblett Gravels. According to Hawke's Bay Tourism, it covers about 800 ha and is defined by the gravel soils of the old Ngaruroro riverbed, exposed after a major flood in the 1860s. If a label carries this name, the grapes came from that gravel land. It is a useful name to look for when choosing red blends and Syrah.

Choose cellar doors by area

Hawke's Bay Tourism says there are more than 35 cellar doors, while a New Zealand Winegrowers feature says more than 30. Either way, you can't visit them all in one day, so pick one or two areas. The table below lists some of the wineries named in the tourism board's cellar door guide. The guide also covers the Esk Valley, Bayview and Ahuriri areas separately.

As an example plan (our suggestion), spend one day on Taradale cellar doors plus central Napier, and another on Havelock North cellar doors plus the Te Mata Peak lookout.

Four wineries compared: tasting fees and opening hours

The table below was checked on each winery's official page on 30 September 2026. Prices are per person in New Zealand dollars.

A few notes to go with the table:

• Mission Estate: The official website says it began in 1851. The cellar door is in the former seminary building, about 10 minutes from Napier and the airport. It notes that it gets very busy on weekends, during holidays and from Labour Weekend (late October) to Easter, so booking is a good idea at those times.
• Church Road: Standard tastings run every day. Some premium options, such as the Icon Tasting (NZ$75), the TOM Experience and the restaurant, run Thursday to Monday only. The underground wine museum can be seen through experiences such as the TOM Experience and the Legacy Experience.
• Te Mata Estate: Bookings are recommended for the Discovery Tasting, but walk-ins are accepted when there is space. Winery tours must be booked. Because it holds an off-licence, it does not sell wine by the glass.
• Craggy Range: Only booked guests are welcomed, at set times. Bookings are for up to 10 people, and non-tasting companions are also charged. The official page mentions a new experience launching in October 2026, so check the list when you book.

Before you book and travel

1. Bookings: Policies vary. Craggy Range always requires a booking, and Church Road requires one from December to February. Book early in the peak season.
2. Days and seasons: Te Mata Estate closes on Sundays in winter (April–August), and Church Road's premium experiences run Thursday to Monday only. Some places also close on public holidays such as Christmas Day and Good Friday, so check each official page.
3. Fee waivers: Te Mata waives its tasting fee with a 2-bottle purchase, and Craggy Range with 3 bottles per person. Conditions differ between wineries.
4. Getting around: Hawke's Bay Airport is in Napier, and New Zealand Winegrowers highlights more than 200 km of off-road cycle trails linking wineries. If nobody wants to be the driver, consider a winery tour or bikes.

Useful English at the cellar door

Alcohol rules and tasting responsibly

• You must be 18 or over to buy alcohol in New Zealand. You may be asked for ID, so carry your passport.
• The drink-driving limit is 250 micrograms per litre of breath for drivers aged 20 and over, and zero for drivers under 20 (NZ Police, NZTA). Tastings add up, so drivers are safest spitting or not drinking.
• Cycling after drinking also raises the risk of accidents. Drink water, eat along the way, and limit yourself to two or three stops a day.

Hawke's Bay wine is much easier to enjoy once you know the red blends and Chardonnay, recognise names like the Gimblett Gravels, and choose cellar doors by area. The prices and hours in the table are as of 30 September 2026, so recheck each winery's official page just before you go.

Photo credits

• HuttyMcphoo, CC BY-SA 2.5, source — resized and converted to WebP