Our group of 19 came for dinner tonight as part of our tour. Everyone loved the roasted tomato soup…read moreand especially appreciated the temperature..hot ! The steak lovers had a variety of reviews as the preparation was inconsistent . Our table was happy with the medium to medium rare presentation , but another tables came so well done they were disappointed . Not part of our group , but I saw a tray of steaks returning to kitchen that were so rare they were not edible. One of the highlights was our sweet and attentive young waitress who came by every few minutes to refill our glasses. The dessert of crème brûlée was perfectly prepared .

This was a beautiful winery we visited during the summer. It's very historical and you can hear or…read moreread about the winery's history of moving. They also have quite a few old bottles on display. The entrance is very beautiful and make sure to check out the bottle in the floor of the doorway when you walk through the entrance. The wine tasting was pleasant and the person giving it was knowledgeable. We tasted both whites and reds, but we didn't end up buying anything. Our tour guide gave us a mission estate wine glass as a moment though, so that was sweet. Aside from the wine tastings they do in the main area, there is also a restaurant off to the side that I don't think is affiliated with the winery part. There is a nice backyard area with pretty views and flowers.

This was one of our favorite wineries that we visited while here in NZ. The grounds are beautiful…read moreand the tasting room was stunning. The inside has two bars on either side for wine tasting with a gift room in the corner, a beautiful entryway, and a sunken room with rustic wine barrels in the back. We were there first thing in the morning because when you're on vacation there's nothing as 'too early' for starting a good day of drinking wine. We were greeted by a lovely woman who poured for us and kept us company discussing the history of the wine and grapes of the region. She also was so friendly that she even got my rather reclusive husband bubbling about his job, our wedding, our cats and more. We enjoyed both the conversation and the wine we tasted. Our tasting fee was very reasonable and both of them were put towards the bottle of wine we bought. I also had been looking for a cheese board and found the neatest one here made from one of their wine barrels. Despite the difficulty of carrying it all the way back to the US I had to have it. They have a very nice variety of wines and we both felt that the tasting did a great job of sampling them. There was a great bubbly to start with and then a good sampling of their reds and whites. We really enjoyed the McDonald's reds. Overall this was one of our favorite wineries we visited. It had the beautiful grounds, the great service, and fantastic vino. A win win win!

We popped in to this place as a part of a private guided wine tour on the Hawkes Valley and it was…read moreone of four we tried throughout the day. During our visit at this impressive winery with a big modern tasting room and lush grounds we learned they were started in 1897 making th We were served by a newer employee who, while knowledgeable about the wines, still had work to do on her customer service demeanor. We tried 5 of their many wines: -sparkling Blanc du Noir-very yeasty with fairly large bubbles-ok -church road Hawke's Bay Rose -a surprising blend of 6 grape varieties - excellent -Tempranillo-very dry, boozy tasting-just ok -McDonald series marzemino -a unique red grape that is only grown here in NZ, very dry -Syrah -young, needs time to mature -cab Sauvignon-McDonald series-standard cab characteristics Bottom line for me, other than the Rose, nothing I would purchase for my cellar, but decent mid-market wines for everyday drinking as reasonable prices.

We made it a point to stop by here when touring the Napier region wine tasting because of all the…read moregorgeous pictures online. The grounds are as beautiful as the yelp photos show, even in winter. The water features are lovely, the large resort style couches relaxing, and the floor to ceiling glass windows gave the tasting room a modern appeal. The scenery is truly incredible with both the view of the vineyards as well as the nearby ocean. Whether you're relaxing on the couches with the ocean view, enjoying the architecture in the tasting room, or marveling at the vineyards from the restaurant, there are no bad views here. We tried the tasting flight and overall enjoyed the wines and the friendly conversation from the American woman who poured for us. We sampled the wines while reclining on one of the couches and nomming a cheese plate. The cheese plate was very tasty. The olives had a delicious and intensely interesting flavor and a good variety of cheeses. Our favorite wines were the Chardonnay and Merlot Cabernet. Overall a very nice vineyard and tasting room. We regret we did not have more time to try the restaurant, but the snack and wines we had were good, the views were even better.

Beautiful tasting rooms with a stellar patio, perfect for a taste and a nibble mid-afternoon. I…read morecould sit on this patio for hours. We loved the wine and bought a couple of bottles to take home.

An amazing experience and beautiful location. Not only was the team exceptional but the…read moreaccommodations were amazing. I highly recommend this as part of your New Zealand journey. The Giants tour was beyond amazing and once in a lifetime experience, follow that with lunch at the restaurant. Just wow!

Wow, just wow in every way. If you are planning a tasting trip through Napier, I strongly recommend…read moreputting this at the top of your list. It was the final winery we visited but by far the most comprehensive experience and ultimately our favorite. The tasting room and winery grounds are breathtaking, especially with the craggy looking mountain range in the backdrop, appropriately named! The outside has a generous parking lot with a beautiful color blocked design to the tasting room and restaurant. We stopped by the tasting room first which had a large wooden tasting bar and warm red painted walls. The large windows open up to reveal the vineyards and lush green grounds. We enjoyed a tasting and particularly liked the Riesling and the Syrah. We decided to have lunch out on the restaurant patio which overlooks the beautiful green lawn, the pond with relaxing water features, and of course the beautiful mountain range. The setting is picturesque and one of the highlights of our trip. I ordered steak and the husband had a chicken main and they were presented like works of art. They were almost too beautiful too eat, but when we did they were amazing. We also had a side of potatoes which were crispy and delicious. This is an absolute must see and plan to dine here if you're a foodie, you won't be disappointed.

I had one day in Hawkes Bay and I had to make the most of it. After lots of research, I came across…read moreBlack Barn Vineyards and knew we had to visit. I am from Sonoma County, California (a huge wine region) and was so happy to go wine tasting in New Zealand. Black Barn Vineyards looked like just the place! This place definitely reminded me of Napa in it's architecture - it's fancy, designed modernly, trendy. Though this may seem intimidating, it's actually a super friendly place and the staff was very welcoming. We walked in and had a tasting with a guy who really had his spiel down. He picked us a fig from the tree outside to pair with the sauv blanc, which went really well together. We did a full tasting and loved all of the wines. I particularly liked a few of the reds, and they did a great rose. We bought a glass for outside and had some fries in the vines - what a fantastic little outside patio they have! Black Barn is a great place to chill out for the day with a bottle or glass of wine in the sun. They had some adorable little rugs with bean bag chairs, which would be amazing to hang out on if they were shaded. All in all, I'd definitely recommend and will totally visit again if I ever get back to Hawkes Bay!

The place is welcoming & cozy, service was quick & friendly and food was fantastic. We had the…read morelamb shoulder that was cooked to perfection, the fish of the day (bluenose) thick, flaky and bursting with flavors, and the pasta was home made , al dente and delicious. Enjoyed our dining experience here. Highly recommended!

We had a wonderful day on the grape escape wine and dine tour. Greg promptly picked us up from our…read morehotel at 11 and we toured 5 excellent wineries with one stop for a lunch at a vineyard and some wine and cheese. He was friendly and knowledgeable, providing us with interesting facts about the area and wineries and we had a great experience. The pace was easygoing and laid back and we enjoyed the excellent wine, food and company! He let us take as long as we wanted to at each winery and it never felt rushed. He was friendly and informative. I did a lot of research to pick the tour company and I am very happy I chose grape escape! Excellent experience and value for money!

This was an awesome wine tour! Our tour guide, who's id was posted on the dash but unfortunately I…read morehave since forgotten his name, and he can only be identified as the man with a haircut as he did have a sweet hairdo in that id picture. However, his locks had since been tamed, but his knowledge of wine and his hospitality were still awesome. Our tour guide spoke expertly of wine, but never bored us. He mentioned tasting notes at the wineries, but was never intrusive. He was a safe driver, and he fed us cheese. He was a good man.

One of the best!…read more Unison winery is a somewhat unassuming place but as we found out looks can be deceiving. Of the wineries we visited in the two days in the area including many of the big names, Unison wines were our favorite. We started our tasting with their Blush Rose (driest of the 3 they make). It is made from 3 grapes-cab, Merlot, Syrah -and was excellent, refreshing-and perfect for summertime. Next was their 2015 Rocky red blend: merlot 60%, cab-40% and at only only NZ$22-tastes like a much more expensive wine-rich and full. Next came the 2013 Reserve Merlot-which was an excellent year-wonderful expression of the grape. The 2013 Classic blend Gimblett gravels-merlot was our next choice -a cab Syrah merlot blend-good but I liked Rocky Red better. Next we sampled the 2013 Syrah Gimblett Gravels-good as well, light spice notes and finally the 2013 Blend "Selection" from-Gimblett Gravels-60% cab, 40 merlot-French oak-classic, big style blend-superb. We liked things so much we had some wine shipped from the winery back to the states. They can arrange that for you at the winery which is nice. While perhaps a bit less grand on the outside from some of the area wineries, the product here is the true star. Highly recommended

Went here with my husband, toddler son and uncle. The wine tasting fee is $5 per person. We had a…read morevery knowledgeable pourer and the overall quality of the wines was great. We particularly enjoyed the reserve merlot. They had a dining area here and the menu had some tasty-looking options, but we did not eat there. I was overjoyed to see that they had a large outside play area for children, with a swing set, sandbox, small house and balls and hula hoops. This was super helpful in keeping our son occupied so that we could enjoy the tasting.

They have TONS of wines and they let you taste a decent amount FOR FREE. The staff were so much…read morefun, really joking and interacting with guests, and very knowledgeable about wine in general. And very good wines -- some of my favorites from all the places we tried in Hawke's Bay! Would recommend the Sea Red to anyone who likes sweeter wines. They have a great restaurant too with a good menu and a nice outdoor patio, sheltered room, and inside area with a fireplace. Got the sharing platter which was okay -- could have used a nicer bread than plain white bread. Mains were in the $30s. Only thing to be improved, other than the price, would be the view from the tasting room and restaurant.

My husband and I rented bikes and came to Clearview as our first stop at 10:30 AM in the morning…read morefor wine tasting. The estate was beautiful and the wine tasting was a wonderful experience. We tried four different wines- all for free! We loved the Coastal Chardonnay and Sea Red Dessert Wine. The dessert wine was served with pieces of chocolate that accentuated the taste. The family owned winery treated us as guests, adding to our great experience at Hawke's Bay during our New Zealand traveling experience.

Had a very enjoyable lunch here. Service was excellent. Food was superb and the wine just amazing,…read morepairs perfectly with the food. We had the 3course meal. Enjoyed every bite. And not only is the restaurant gorgeous, the garden and the winery is just fabulous! Truly a beautiful New Zealand winery and experience!!!

We chose this winery after reading several reviews and winery lists for the Napier region. Of all…read morethe locations we visited this day, this was by far the prettiest even though we were visiting in winter. The breathtaking cliff backdrop combined with the picture perfect pond and well kept grounds made for a stunning first impression. We immediately loved the beautiful modern architecture of the buildings and the large floor to ceiling windows made for gorgeous views inside the tasting room as well. We were greeted by a really nice staff member who poured our tastings and explained the grapes in the region. The tasting is 7.50 NZD which is waved if you make a wine purchase. Overall the wines we tried were pretty good and we were particularly fond of the Riesling. The restaurant was gorgeous and we were happy we stopped in here for lunch. With both a beautiful inside and outside seating area there were lots of beautiful views to choose from. Service was a little relaxed, but we enjoyed a perfectly prepared steak with candied beets, a chicken roulade, seasoned potatoes and a couple glasses of wine for about 100 NZD. Everything about the meal was spot on from the presentation to the execution. We were very happy we didn't pass this place up!