New Zealand wine: beyond sauvignon blanc

If all you know about New Zealand wine is Marlborough sauvignon blanc, you're missing the real story. Yes, it's exceptional — and yes, it changed the global wine conversation in the 1980s. But the New Zealand wine scene in 2026 is vastly more diverse, more ambitious, and more interesting.

Central Otago pinot noir

Central Otago is the world's southernmost wine region, and its pinot noir is extraordinary — fragrant, complex, and uniquely expressive of place. The Gibbston Valley, Bannockburn, and Cromwell Basin each produce wines with distinct characters, all within a short drive of Queenstown.

For pinot noir lovers from Sonoma or Willamette Valley, Central Otago is a revelation. The climate is continental — more extreme than either of those regions — and the wines reflect it: brighter acidity, more minerality, and a freshness that's hard to find elsewhere.

Hawke's Bay syrah

Hawke's Bay, on the North Island's east coast, is producing syrah that rivals the northern Rhône. The Gimblett Gravels — a unique alluvial gravel terroir — gives these wines a warmth and complexity that's startling. Paired with the region's lamb and olive oil, it's a food-and-wine experience that stands alongside anything in the world.

The MICHELIN effect

The 2026 MICHELIN Guide's arrival in New Zealand is as much a wine story as a food story. The sommeliers and wine lists at New Zealand's best restaurants are showcasing producers that most international visitors have never encountered. A wine-focused journey through New Zealand is one of the most rewarding things we help people plan.

What we do differently

Our approach to wine on a New Zealand journey is cellar door and winemaker first, restaurant second. A lunch at the Felton Road estate with the winemaking team, or a private tasting at Ata Rangi in Martinborough, teaches you something about New Zealand that stays with you in a way a restaurant list doesn't.

If wine is central to why you're coming, tell us that early. It shapes everything.