A Wine Lover’s Guide to Hawke’s Bay: Best Vineyards & Scenic Drives

Q: Can I combine Hawke’s Bay wineries with Rotorua and Taupo on one trip?

Yes; many itineraries link Rotorua, Taupo and Hawke’s Bay using the Thermal Explorer Highway, allowing visitors to experience geothermal landscapes and lake activities alongside some of the best wine tours in New Zealand within a compact North Island loop.

If you love wine, Hawke’s Bay is one of the best places in New Zealand to slow the pace, base yourself in Napier and spend a few days cruising between cellar doors, coastal viewpoints and sunset vineyards in a rental car. Hawke’s Bay is New Zealand’s oldest established wine region, with more than 200 vineyards, close to 100 wineries and almost 40 cellar doors. It is best known for full-bodied red blends, elegant Syrah and rich Chardonnay, and has recently been named one of the world’s Great Wine Capitals alongside regions such as Bordeaux and Napa Valley. That mix of history, wine quality and easy driving from Napier makes it an ideal hub for a longer North Island loop that can also include Taupo and Rotorua on your New Zealand road trip.

Why Hawke’s Bay is a must for wine lovers

Hawke’s Bay is New Zealand’s oldest wine region, with vines first planted by Marist missionaries in 1851. Today it produces the country’s largest volume of premium red wine and is especially known for Merlot Cabernet blends, Syrah, and Chardonnay. The warm, dry climate, long growing season and more than 2,300 annual sunshine hours help grapes ripen fully while still holding freshness, which is why so many wineries from this region feature in national top winery lists and wine awards.

The region’s quality and visitor infrastructure led to Hawke’s Bay being crowned the 12th Great Wine Capital of the world, a global network that now includes 12 leading wine regions; this recognition highlights the depth of cellar door experiences, food and wine tourism and cycle friendly wine trails around Napier, Hastings and the coastal villages. For visitors, that means you can combine some of the best wine tours in NZ with short scenic drives, ocean views and relaxed local hospitality, all easily accessed in a rental car from Napier.

Top Hawke’s Bay wineries and cellar doors

When people walk into RaD Napier and ask for the best Hawke’s Bay wineries, the team generally suggest a mix of historic estates, award winners, and relaxed family-run cellar doors so you get a feel for the region rather than just one style.

Some standout experiences to build into your road trip include:

Image Credit: Mission Estate Winery Facebook

Mission Estate Winery, Taradale
Often described as New Zealand’s oldest winery, Mission Estate offers sweeping views over Napier and the coast from its historic hilltop buildings, along with popular tastings and a restaurant known for long lunches. It is one of the easiest cellar doors to reach from central Napier, which makes it a great first stop on your Hawke’s Bay wineries circuit before heading further inland.
Church Road, Taradale
Church Road is a regular feature in top winery lists and has won national awards for its cellar door. Visitors can expect structured tastings, museum-style exhibits, and special experiences such as underground cellar tours and food-matched flights when available. Recent national wine awards show Hawke’s Bay producers like Church Road taking multiple spots in Top 50 lineups, reinforcing the quality you taste at the cellar door.

Craggy Range, under Te Mata Peak
Craggy Range sits beneath the cliffs of Te Mata Peak in the Tukituki Valley and has earned accolades such as Winery Restaurant of the Year and multiple Cuisine Good Food Awards hats for its on-site dining. The setting is cinematic, with vines stretching towards the peak, and this is one of the most impressive spots for visitors wanting to combine fine dining, premium wine and views in one stop.
Urban and coastal options - Tony Bish and Clearview
In central Napier, Tony Bish’s Urban Winery lets you taste highly regarded Chardonnay in a repurposed Art Deco building at the port, which is ideal if you want an urban tasting without leaving town. Down the coast at Te Awanga, Clearview Estate offers beachfront vineyard vibes and is regularly mentioned among the region’s top wineries, combining relaxed food with sea breezes and coastal cycle trail access.
Other local favourites
Locals often point visitors towards Brookfields, one of the region’s oldest boutique wineries, for its intimate cellar door and garden setting, and to family operations in the Gimblett Gravels and Bridge Pa Triangle for serious reds from stony soils created by old riverbeds. With almost 40 cellar doors open to the public, many visitors now book guided wine tours or mix self-drive days with cycling so they can sample widely and still keep within safe driving limits.

Scenic drives and sunset vineyard views from Napier

One of the advantages of exploring Hawke’s Bay wineries in a RaD rental is how compact the region is from a driving perspective. Coastal vineyards, inland river valleys and hilltop viewpoints are all within a comfortable day’s loop from Napier.

For sunset views and scenic photo stops, locals often recommend:

Mission Estate and nearby lookouts

The terrace at Mission Estate looks back towards Napier and the Pacific and can deliver lovely late afternoon light across the vines and city, especially in summer when the sun drops behind the inland ranges. Pair a late tasting with an early dinner here and you can watch golden hour from your table before the quick drive back to town.

Te Mata Peak and Craggy Range

Te Mata Peak is one of the most photographed high points in Hawke’s Bay and is often listed among the top Instagram spots in the region. From the summit, you see the Tukituki River, Craggy Range vineyard blocks and the coast laid out in soft evening light. If you time it right, you can watch the sunset ignite the limestone cliffs from the lookout and still make it back down to the valley floor for a relaxed drink at Craggy Range.

Coastal sunset drives

Short coastal drives from Napier along Marine Parade and out towards Bay View give easy access to ocean lookouts and boardwalks that locals love for sunset walks, often highlighted in travel guides as some of Napier’s best sunset viewpoints. On still evenings, many visitors grab takeaway fish and chips or local platters and simply park up at legal waterfront spots to watch colours shift over the Pacific.

Vineyard stays and glamping

For an immersive vineyard sunset experience, Hawke’s Bay now has boutique glamping options set directly among vines. One example is Villas & Vines, which offers decks facing vineyard rows and the coastal ranges so you can enjoy evening wine and cheese without getting back in the car. Options like these are popular with visitors seeking more atmospheric alternatives to standard motels while still staying within an easy drive of Napier’s wineries and restaurants.

Staff tips from Napier, Taupo and Rotorua

RaD Napier staff spend a lot of time helping visitors plot wine themed road trips that also tick off classic North Island sights like Lake Taupo and Rotorua’s geothermal wonders; feedback from travellers and regional tourism information helps shape these suggestions.

Here are some locally inspired ideas by branch:

RaD Napier staff tips - Hawke’s Bay base

Use Napier as your main hub for Hawke’s Bay wineries. Most cellar doors in Taradale, Bridge Pa, Havelock North and Te Awanga are within 20 to 35 minutes’ drive from the city, making it easy to plan relaxed half-day loops.
For food, staff often recommend combining a day of tastings with either a long lunch at a winery restaurant like Mission Estate, Church Road or Craggy Range, or heading back into Napier for dinner at one of the many eateries lining Emerson Street and the waterfront, where menus often feature local produce and Hawke’s Bay wine lists.

RaD Taupo staff tips - linking lakes and vines

Many visitors reach Hawke’s Bay from Taupo. The state highway between Taupo and Napier is recognised as one of the more scenic drives in the North Island, passing waterfalls, deep river gorges and forested ranges before emerging into vineyard country.

Classic stops suggested by road trip guides on this route include viewpoints over Waipunga Falls, the Mohaka River bridge and high saddles like Titiokura, which provide big sky views before you descend into the Esk Valley vineyards.
Taupo itself is worth at least a night. Popular experiences such as Huka Falls, lakefront walks and boat trips to the Ngatoroirangi Mine Bay rock carvings can break up driving days, and waterfront restaurants make it easy to enjoy New Zealand wine with a view of the lake.

RaD Rotorua staff tips - adding geothermal flavour

Rotorua and Taupo are linked by the Thermal Explorer Highway, a route promoted by national tourism bodies for its geothermal and cultural attractions, and Rotorua is an excellent northern bookend to a Hawke’s Bay wine itinerary.

On the short drive between Rotorua and Taupo, highlights often mentioned in travel articles include Wai o Tapu Thermal Wonderland, Waimangu Volcanic Valley and the Aratiatia Rapids near Taupo, all of which can be comfortably visited in a day before you continue to the vineyards the next morning.
Rotorua’s lakefront dining and evening cultural experiences provide a very different feel from Hawke’s Bay winery restaurants, which many visitors enjoy as a contrast before or after their time among the vines.

Why wine touring fits a New Zealand road trip

Wine tourism has become a significant part of New Zealand travel. Recent industry reporting suggests that roughly 23 per cent of international visitors now include a winery or vineyard in their trip, and those visitors spend nearly half again as much as others during their time in the country. The broader wine sector contributes billions in export value each year, and New Zealand is now the world’s sixth largest wine exporter by value despite producing about 1 per cent of global volume, which underlines the premium, quality-focused nature of regions like Hawke’s Bay.

For travellers, that means cellar doors are set up for more than just quick tastings. Across the country, there is a clear trend towards bookable, premium experiences such as seated tastings, hosted vineyard walks and food and wine pairings, along with growth in direct-to-consumer wine sales from the cellar door. Hawke’s Bay has embraced these trends with cycle trail-linked wineries, architecture-focused tours and special events, and its Great Wine Capital status signals that visitors can expect world-class wine experiences on par with more famous, long-established regions overseas.

Practical road trip tips with a RaD rental

Keep driving legs comfortable

Distances between key centres in this part of the North Island are manageable. Napier to Taupo is around 140 to 150 kilometres and usually takes under 2.5 hours of drive time in average conditions, while Rotorua and Taupo are linked by an hour long highway leg. Splitting these drives with short walks or viewpoints makes the journey to and from Hawke’s Bay part of the experience rather than just transit.

Plan tastings safely

With so many excellent Hawke’s Bay wineries within short driving distance of each other, it is important to plan cellar door days with a dedicated driver, spitting tastings or using local wine tour operators or shuttle services so everyone can enjoy the wines responsibly. Staff in visitor information centres and accommodations around Napier can usually provide up-to-date lists of wine tour providers and shuttle options.

Book ahead in peak season

As Hawke’s Bay’s profile has grown through national awards and its Great Wine Capital listing, some wineries now encourage or require bookings for tastings and dining, especially on weekends and during events. Checking opening days and booking lunch or premium tastings before you arrive helps you avoid disappointment during busy periods.

FAQs - A wine lover’s guide to Hawke’s Bay

How many wineries and cellar doors are there in Hawke’s Bay?

Regional wine information notes that Hawke’s Bay has more than 200 vineyards, around 98 wineries and just under 40 cellar doors open to the public, spread between coastal areas, river terraces and inland valleys.

What wine styles is Hawke’s Bay best known for?

Hawke’s Bay is widely recognised for Merlot Cabernet red blends, Syrah and complex Chardonnay, along with some aromatic whites; it is the country’s largest producer of premium red wines.

Why is Hawke’s Bay called a Great Wine Capital?

An international network of Great Wine Capitals accepted Hawke’s Bay as its 12th member, recognising the region’s long wine history, high quality production and well developed wine tourism experiences, including architecture, cycling trails and cellar door diversity.

Is the drive between Napier and Taupo difficult?

The highway between Napier and Taupo is sealed and generally well maintained, though it does cross ranges that can bring wind, fog or winter ice at times; most descriptions rate it as a scenic but straightforward drive in normal conditions when taken at a relaxed pace with rest stops.

Can I combine Hawke’s Bay wineries with Rotorua and Taupo on one trip?

Yes, many itineraries link Rotorua, Taupo and Hawke’s Bay using the Thermal Explorer Highway, allowing visitors to experience geothermal landscapes and lake activities alongside some of the best wine tours in NZ within a compact North Island loop.