Hawke's Bay: One of the Great Wine Capitals of the World

Hawke's Bay is the first and only wine region in New Zealand to earn a place in the Great Wine Capitals Global Network — joining an elite circle of premier wine destinations that includes Bordeaux, Napa Valley, Mendoza, Cape Town, Porto, and Verona. It's a distinction that was a long time coming.

The region was unanimously voted in following a rigorous selection process that evaluated its winemaking heritage, the quality of its wine tourism experiences, and its standing in industry education and innovation. For those who've spent time in Hawke's Bay, the result feels less like a surprise and more like an official acknowledgement of something already known.

New Zealand's oldest wine region

The story begins in 1851, when French missionaries planted the country's first vines here. That's a 175-year winemaking history — longer than any other region in New Zealand. Mission Estate Winery, founded in that same year, still operates today, with a heritage cellar door and dining room overlooking the vineyards. Visiting it is less a wine experience than a history lesson.

That depth of history informed how Hawke's Bay approached everything that followed: methodical, serious, and increasingly world-class.

What makes the terroir exceptional

The Hawke's Bay landscape is more varied than most visitors expect. Twenty-five distinct soil types across the region support 38 different grape varietals, with microclimates that range from the world-famous gravelly flatlands of the Gimblett Gravels to cool coastal cliff faces.

The Gimblett Gravels is the signature terroir — an alluvial gravel bed that forces vines to work for water, concentrating flavour and producing Bordeaux-style red blends and Syrah of remarkable depth and complexity. Elegant Chardonnay from the cooler sites regularly takes international honours.

For wine travellers accustomed to the monoculture of Marlborough, the range here is striking.

The wineries worth knowing

Craggy Range has become something of an anchor for the region — combining outstanding Bordeaux blends and Syrah with architecture and landscape that earned it international recognition for wine tourism. The vineyard restaurant at the foot of Te Mata Peak is one of the best tables in New Zealand.

Mission Estate is where the history lives. The original stone winery buildings, the heritage cellar door, and the setting above Napier make it a mandatory visit for anyone serious about understanding New Zealand wine.

Church Road has led the region in sustainable practices, and its tasting experiences and summer concert series have made wine tourism here genuinely accessible without sacrificing quality.

Black Barn Vineyards takes a different angle — art, culture, and a farmers' market sit alongside premium boutique accommodation, creating something closer to a wine-country lifestyle experience than a traditional cellar door.

The hospitality that sealed the evaluation

The selection panel specifically praised the region's authentic culture of manaakitanga — the Māori value of mutual respect, hospitality, and care. That's not marketing language; it's a genuine quality that distinguishes Hawke's Bay from more transactional wine regions elsewhere in the world. The experience here is warm, attentive, and deeply personal without being performative.

The wider setting helps too: Napier, the Art Deco Capital of the World, and Hastings, the creative and artisan heart of the region, give the wine country a cultural context that most destinations lack.

Where to stay

Luxury accommodation in Hawke's Bay has kept pace with its winemaking reputation. Rosewood Cape Kidnappers — perched atop 6,000 acres of dramatic ocean cliffs — offers farm-to-table dining, an acclaimed Tom Doak-designed golf course, and views that span the horizon. It remains one of the most singular properties in the southern hemisphere.

Summerlee Luxury Retreat occupies the beautifully restored historic homestead of Cape Kidnappers Station: 10 acres of immaculate gardens, a private pool, and a tennis court overlooking the Te Awanga coastline. Exclusively yours on arrival.

Black Barn Retreats offers iconic vineyard residences for those who want to fall asleep among the vines, while the private cottages at Craggy Range allow wine lovers to pair award-winning vintages with high-end lodges at the foot of Te Mata Peak.

What this recognition means for travellers

The Great Wine Capitals designation puts Hawke's Bay on an itinerary shortlist that previously required travellers to look only to Europe or California. For visitors building a New Zealand journey with wine at its heart, it now sits alongside the world's most credible wine destinations — not as an emerging prospect, but as a peer.

If wine is central to why you're coming to New Zealand, Hawke's Bay isn't optional. It's where the story begins.