Hawkes Bay New Zealand home to 2.9 mil sheep. 442,000 beef cattle, 98,000 dairy Cattle, 53,000 deer. 5000 hectares of vineyards, 72 wineries & 123 independent grape growers producing 43,000 tonnes of grapes for the 2016 vintage. 100 different fruit and veggie species, of which the pipfruit (mainly Apples) harvest will be 398 mil kg in 2017
So what are you waiting for, get yourself across to this gorgeous region in the lower half of the North Island and allocate at least 5 days to live like a local and make some new friends in Hawkes Bay.
Hawkes Bay is the Tuscany of New Zealand. It’s a premium growing region, producing top quality food products in a picture perfect location.
Our focus was to find and taste Italian Varietals (like Pinot Gris and Montepulciano) however the main varieties of Chardonnay, Viognier, Sav Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc are readily available. A visit to the Wine Centre in Napier prior to visiting the vineyards is highly recommended to understand the sub regions and to work out who is open on which days.
How to gauge the locavore of any region. Visit the local Farmers Markets
In Hawkes Bay we found 3 markets. The Hawkes Bay Farmers Market was a stand out. Held every Sunday at the HB Showgrounds in Hastings the local produce, proudly presented for tasting and sales through approximately 60-70 stalls provides a great guide to what’s available from the region. Artisan products including, Breads, Cheeses, Olive Oils, fruit, vegetables, Coffee & Wines are just some of the locavore to be found in the tranquil garden setting .
This is a real community gathering place and a great place to talk to locals.
The Napier Urban Market is the little brother of the larger Hawkes Bay Farmers Market, and to be fair, if you only have time for one market, do the Hastings one. There were only about a dozen stalls in the Napier market, and it caters to those locals who want to buy their weekly veges.
Black Barn Growers Market Havelock North. The Growers’ Market has become a ‘must-do’ for locals and visitors alike on Saturday Mornings through Summer.
Open from 9 till Noon every Saturday of summer just follow the line of cars down Black Barn Road to the carparks and you’ll see the market under the trees beside the underground cellars. There were about 20 stalls, all with Artisan products and a nice vibe. Lots of mingling with locals and visitors alike (it was very busy when we were there, probably because the The Hollies were appearing that night at the estate amphitheatre )
Havelock North is a very cute town, part rural part chic, with some wonderful shops, dining options and surrounded by vineyards and orchards. Black Barn being one such winery, great location, a bistro with an amazing view,& superb wines.. In Havelock North, there is also an amazing bakery, Te Mata, who have an outlet cum Coffee shop in Hastings called Artisan. Great patisserie, great coffee.
You can’t visit all the wineries in 4 days (and that’s not a challenge!) but a great way to see the regions wineries in to join a tour, of which there are some very good ones.
In the main we visited the smaller wineries and our favourites were De la Terre, Rod McDonald Wines, Beach House, Black Barn, Dolce Vista, (see my story on Italian Wine Varietals in New Zealand) For the larger wineries, Church Road was impressive as was Trinity Hill. We dined at the Vidal winery Restaurant.
For those with an interest in golf, take a look at Cape Kidnappers. This incredible development is located in the Te Awanga region, make a booking in advance, it’s worth the drive. Five star golf course and matching lodge accommodation.
For those with a love of history Napier has a great story to tell, the Art Deco period, the rebuild after the earthquake, and a range of tours available in vintage cars, on foot, or cycling round the city.
Next stop, Martinborough, home to some of the best Pinot Noir in the world & just 3 hours south of Hawkes Bay but that’s coming up soon.
About the author: Since 1999, Bruce White has been traveling Italy, returning every year to a different region with pre-planned wine and food experiences. Some have been with food and wine tour operators in small groups, some planned directly with local specialists to ensure something very local and very special. With this network of contacts and a desire to return as often as possible, Bruce launched Wine and Food Traveller to share experiences with those who share the same passion for the Italian Lifestyle offering wine and food tours Italy.