Waiheke Island is a wine-producing region just 11 miles (18km) east of Auckland city. This hilly island is home to a healthy population of hippies and artists, as well as some of Auckland's most famous vineyards. Waiheke Island's specialty is elegant Bordeaux Blend wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, but Syrah and Chardonnay are also important grape varieties planted here.
Waiheke Island is roughly semi-circular in shape, measuring 12 miles (20km) from east to west and six miles (10km) from north to south at its widest point. With its smaller island neighbors, Rangitoto and Motutapu, it serves as a gateway to Auckland's Waitemata Harbor. Waiheke's hilly landscape provides a plethora of suitable vineyard sites for vignerons, and it is on the hills surrounding Onetangi Bay that most viticulture takes place. Some vineyards can also be found on the western point of the island overlooking Auckland, and in the less-populated eastern parts.
©NZWA/Cable Bay Wine
Waiheke has a warmer, drier climate than the mainland, and a correspondingly longer growing season. It is protected from cold, wet south-westerly winds from the Tasman Sea by the Auckland isthmus. The waters that surround the island's 80 miles (130km) of coastline also serve to moderate temperatures, leveling out the extremes and bringing about a milder, more gradual transition from summer to winter.
Waiheke's ancient soils are one of the most important features of the island's terroir. The weathered bedrock is covered by a relatively thin layer of hard topsoil, which is stressful for the vines and therefore beneficial for the grower. Rapid drainage and low levels of nutrients mean that the vines are forced to work harder to survive, leading them to produce less vegetation and smaller berries, which have a high concentration of sugars and acids. The wines that are made from these grapes are rich and intensely flavored, with firm tannins and good structure.
Waiheke's first Vitis vinifera vines were planted in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and an increase in ferry traffic from Auckland city in the 1990s led to an increase in production to supply the subsequent increase in tourism. Due the island's restricted acreage, wine production is done on a truly boutique scale and several Waiheke wineries offer wines from other regions – notably Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough. Some have their own vineyards on the mainland; others buy in fruit, must or even finished wines made under contract.
As in many of the world's wine regions, the island is home to a large number of olive trees, which support its output of artisan, single-estate olive oils. It is quite standard for a Waiheke Island winery to sell its own estate olive oil alongside its wines. The combination of these two boutique products, coupled with the island's idyllic landscapes and close proximity to Auckland city, make Waiheke increasingly popular as a tourist destination.
