NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Travel

GO NZ: Waipara, New Zealand's hidden wine region north of Christchurch,

By Anastasia Hedge
NZ Herald·
22 Aug, 2022 09:43 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Cycling through the vines in the Waipara Valley, North Canterbury. Photo / Supplied

Cycling through the vines in the Waipara Valley, North Canterbury. Photo / Supplied

Not for sale

Venture just 45 minutes north of Christchurch to discover vineyards worthy of a flag on our South Island gourmet map, writes Anastasia Hedge

Cantabrians love their wine. Central Otago and Marlborough are close enough to sip their way through pinots and sauvignon blancs during a weekend jaunt. A wedding might even get them cycling through the vines in Martinborough or Hawke's Bay, returning south with a bottle or two for their efforts. Yet, very few venture just 45 minutes north of Christchurch to do the same.

It's a conversation sparked during a trip out to Waipara, a region once described by well-known wine critic Bob Campbell as the "one of the unsung heroes of the wine industry".

Less than an hour's drive from Christchurch, the Waipara often remains undiscovered by locals. Photo / Getty Images
Less than an hour's drive from Christchurch, the Waipara often remains undiscovered by locals. Photo / Getty Images
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

In 2020, one of Waipara's family-owned wineries, Greystone Wines, made the Robert Parker Top 100 Wine Discoveries, for its 2017 Vineyard Ferment Pinot Noir. Despite the accolade, it remains a bit of a secret. Much like its ferment, its local visitors to its cellar door are a small batch, but they keep coming back time and time again. General manager Nik Mavromatis puts it down to a lack of awareness. "People think about Hanmer Springs in North Canterbury and don't realise it is less than an hour's drive to most of the wineries."

Advertising, or lack of it, also plays a part. North Canterbury, being so dry, is an expensive area to grow grapes, and most wineries are family-run, so they don't have the big budget those in other areas have to splash around on promotion.

Greystone offers the locals a Day in the Vineyard every year around harvest, complete with a pick-up, drop-off service from Christchurch. Visitors get out into the rows and see and taste the ferment, which remains in vats near the vines like small volcanoes. Plunging the grapes is encouraged, as they bubble away. So are silly questions, there's no pretension, just a lot to learn about organic processes and dry farming. The wines on offer during the day, which also includes a four-course lunch made by chef and licensed forager Mel Wright, are the very best: Erin's Chardonnay and Thomas Brothers' Pinot Noir - some of which haven't yet left the winery for the mainly foreign market.

Greystone is also on the Waipara Valley Vineyard Trail, a 14.5km trip that includes Waipara Springs and Black Estate. Although, Direct to Consumer and Wine Club manager Fergus Winters says the signs might need to be bigger and yellow, like those ones on the roadside directing people to campgrounds. No one seems to complain if they go off track, Waipara's not that big and they'll find a cellar door soon enough.

Unsung hero: The Waipara Valley wine region might no be on your radar. Photo / Supplied
Unsung hero: The Waipara Valley wine region might no be on your radar. Photo / Supplied

The weather in Waipara is also a drawcard. This year North Canterbury had one of the driest summers in 30 years. Mavromatis says it's great for those wanting to escape the cold or the Canterbury nor'wester. "It's a lot sunnier and hotter than Christchurch. It always surprises me how big the temperature difference is – I guess it's like San Francisco and Napa Valley, with cool sea breezes versus hot sunny valleys."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

But perhaps the biggest gripe, which is all too common among city people, is transport or, more specifically, finding a designated driver. Mavromatis proposes a train, stopping at the Waipara railway station. A wine train - from the city to the Napa of the South Island; what a wonderful thought. Until then, Waipara might remain unsung but will stay a local hero.

CHECKLIST: WAIPARA

DETAILSThe Waipara region is less than an hour's drive from Christchurch. Tour operators offer day tours that will pick you up from central Christchurch.

ONLINE
visithurunui.co.nz
For more New Zealand travel ideas and inspiration, go to newfinder.co.nz and newzealand.com

Discover more

Travel

How to have a great wine-tasting weekend

20 Mar 09:00 PM
Travel

In search of the 'funky stuff' on a Wairarapa camper trip

18 Mar 05:00 AM
Travel

The classic wine route roadie: Hawke's Bay to Marlborough

26 Nov 05:11 PM
Travel

Top NZ wine regions you should visit, and what to do when you get there

15 Jun 09:00 PM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Travel

Travel

5 incredible cheese experiences you can have in Switzerland

Travel

8 Mistakes I made at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Premium
Travel

Kiwi self-made millionaire Simran Kaur on dreams and 'failing upwards'


Sponsored

Your Fiordland experience, levelled up

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Travel

5 incredible cheese experiences you can have in Switzerland
Travel

5 incredible cheese experiences you can have in Switzerland

Prepare for cheese dreams galore.

17 Jul 10:45 PM
8 Mistakes I made at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Travel

8 Mistakes I made at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

17 Jul 07:00 PM
Premium
Premium
Kiwi self-made millionaire Simran Kaur on dreams and 'failing upwards'
Travel

Kiwi self-made millionaire Simran Kaur on dreams and 'failing upwards'

17 Jul 02:00 AM


Your Fiordland experience, levelled up
Sponsored

Your Fiordland experience, levelled up

25 May 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP