Volcanoes, Vines & Wines Day Tour from Auckland

You'll be collected from your main city area accommodation at around 9.30am to start your four winery and city sights discovery.

The morning part of this tour focusses on one winery... Villa Maria.

The afternoon takes in a mix of three smaller, family owned, wineries set in and around our spectacular West Coast 'Kumeu' Wine Region.

Villa Maria are (at time of publishing) New Zealand’s largest privately owned and most awarded wine company! Their architecturally award winning Auckland estate is located in the ‘Ihumatao’ volcanic basin just South of the city & planted with Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir & Verdelho. Like most of Auckland’s winemakers they also have vineyards spread across New Zealand to provide the best grapes for their range of wines including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Arnies, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Malbec and Cabernet & Merlot blends.

On the way to Villa Maria we stop to take in the spectacular 360 degree views from the summit of one of Auckland’s landmark dormant volcanoes

OR step back in time with a look around inside the oldest wooden house in Auckland.

The 15 minute walk uphill (10 minutes down) to the summit of ‘Maungakiekie’, once known as ‘One-Tree-Hill’, is quite steep in a couple of places and is only suitable for people with a reasonable level of fitness. This dormant volcanic cone (once the site of a Maori ‘Pa’... fortified settlement) now sits in the center of the beautiful, farm-like, Cornwall Park offering panoramic horizon to horizon views over the city, the Hauraki Gulf & Waitemata Harbour (Pacific Ocean) & Manukau Harbour (Tasman Sea).


If we decide not to do the summit walk we look through the oldest wooden house in Auckland. Built and lived in by Sir John Logan Campbell, Auckland's founding city father and farmer of what is now the park...

At Villa Maria you are taken on a guided tour of the winery followed by a tutored tasting of a wide range of their award winning wines and lunching on one of their indulgent platters.

After lunch we visit a mix of three smaller family owned and operated wineries set in the beautiful rural countryside (Kumeu/Huapai/Waimauku) approx' 45 minute drive North West of the city. Because we don't all like the same wines this tour does not always visit the same wineries in the afternoon. We do our best to use our nearly 20 years of experience to select these wineries based on your tastes and interests.

You are returned to your accommodation at around 4.30 - 5.00pm.