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Waimauku: Wine Tasting in Auckland

August 12, 2021

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Wine Tasting Auckland is part of the Tahiti Triumph Trip Report. It covers the following cities:

See the Picture Preview here and see how this $60,000 trip cost $1999 here. Be sure to check out TPOL’s Map, the best feature of the blog.

Like golf, I have gone all over the world to taste wine (see Wine Directory). One of the best experiences was in Waimauku, a small locality of Auckland. Though it is not a huge region for wine like Blenheim in the south (see Wine Tours by Bike NZ: A Must for Wine Enthusiasts), Waimauku has plenty of vineyards to visit.

Stop #1:West Brook

It is a tradition for us to stop at a larger producing winery first and then make our way to smaller ones. The problem with large tasting rooms is the requirement to go on a group tour. I don’t need to see the barrels, I just want to drink the wine (see Guided Tours: Like Attending Class, It’s Boring But Sometimes Useful).

a tree with a sign and a pole

a statue in a yard — Homage to TPOL, a necessary stop on the tour

a large room with barrels stacked on top of each other — Seen one, seen ’em all

a counter with bottles of wine on it — Finally, the tasting room

a shelf with bottles of wine two glasses of wine on a table a bottle of wine and two wine glasses on a table

The best part of large vineyards is the grounds. I endure the tour for the opportunity to explore and take photos of the impeccable scenery. It doesn’t get more beautiful than this:

a landscape with a pond and trees a picnic table next to a body of water a tree with red leaves on it a field of plants and a fence a field of vines with wooden posts and blue sky a rows of vines in a vineyard a man standing in a vineyard a field of green plants a man standing in a field of vines

Even the exit was picturesque.

a road with trees and grass a sign on a pole in a grassy field a bridge over a road

Stop #2: Coopers Creek

The winery was in Waimauku, but the grapes were brought in from all over NZ.
Stop #3: Kumeu River

Small in size but nice for a quick stop.

a building with a sign on the front a black pipe in a room with pictures on the wall

a bottle of wine on a shelf — Little did I know that this would become one of my favorite varietals.

two wine glasses on a table

Final Stop: Soljans

We started big. We ended big. a building with palm trees and a sign a man leaning against a sign a wooden wine press with a sign on it a chalkboard with a list of wine and bottles a group of wine bottles and glasses on a table a wine cellar with wine barrels and grapes a bottle and glasses in a box a row of vines in a field Overall