Matakana Wine Region
Escape to Matakana
Only 45 minutes north of Auckland City’s harbour bridge sit the pretty rolling hills of Matakana, a stunning destination for wine tourists. Drive up for an entertaining afternoon wine tasting or book a long weekend escape and experience the character, diversity and passion that the Matakana wine trail offers while relaxing in our beautiful vineyard accommodation. Discover all that Matakana Coast has to offer on Matakana Coast Tourism.
Wineries in Matakana
The Matakana wine trail at less than an hour’s drive from Auckland CBD is a perfect destination for your next holiday.
Auckland wine lovers are truly spoilt for choice in Matakana. You’ll love our boutique cellar doors, many with rare wine varietals and unique sculpture parks, art galleries and award-winning restaurants.
Many of the vineyards and wineries in Matakana are family-owned, and with a commitment to sustainability. This is part of what makes this Matakana collective so special. When you visit their cellar doors you are most likely to meet the wine makers themselves who will welcome your visit.
The people and community of Matakana have a true passion and enthusiasm for wine, art and food, along with a sense of hospitality and desire to share with the local community and visitors. If you’re looking for a great destination to explore and enjoy, Matakana has it all!
Matakana Terroir
Matakana soils are a complex mix of clays, peat loam, and sandy soils – with vineyards predominantly planted on sedimentary sandstone and greywacke clays. The historic vegetation that grew on these soils (e.g. Puriri and Kauri) has a differing impact on soil nutrition and fertility – leaving vineyards soils with varied vigour and nutritional value, and typically sufficient water holding capacity to allow the vines to grow and ripen without irrigation.
The Matakana wine growing geographical indication sits in the north eastern corner of the Auckland region, effectively bounded by the Hauraki Gulf to the east, and the range of hills surrounding Mt Tamahunga to the west. The strong maritime influence moderates both high and low temperature extremes – giving moderate, warm, summers and mild winters. During the growing season Matakana experiences a relatively small diurnal shift between day and night temperatures – this results in fruit that ripens at a balanced pace giving wines with distinct characteristics of their vineyard site, well balanced acidity, and moderate alcohol levels.
The prevailing winds are from the south west, allowing the Waitakere, and other Western, ranges to shelter Matakana from some of the rainfall that greater Auckland receives. However its coastal nature, and the prevalence of more typically easterly sea breezes in the summer, ensures that site selection remains important to maximise exposure to the sun and air flow that decreases humidity and corresponding disease pressure. The complex mix of soils, aspects, and localized weather influences gives the Matakana region a very diverse range of vineyard sites.
Take a Matakana wine tour
If you’re looking for an escape to a boutique wine region, with over 20 vineyards and more than a dozen cellar doors. Matakana is the place to visit.
Our friendly winegrowers look forward to welcoming you to their cellar doors. If a winery is open only by appointment, give them a ring – they’re usually on site and will make your visit an experience to remember.
Escape to Matakana
Wine Trail Map
Download our A4 double-sided printable and screen-friendly version of the Matakana Wine Trail Map here
Click on our wineries in the map below to find out more
Open for Tasting
Open by Appointment
Other Vineyards
Come and discover our Matakana vineyards with passionate locals.
If you would like to be the first to know about any upcoming things to do in Matakana or events in our Matakana wineries, please get in touch.