The best wines of North Island

Discover the best wines of North Island as well as the best winemakers of North Island and estates of North Island to visit. Explore the popular grape varieties of North Island and the best vintages to taste in this region.

Top wines of North Island by region

Looking for a good wine of North Island among the top wines in the region? Check out our tops of the best red, white or effervescent wines of North Island. Also find some food and wine pairings that may be appropriate with these exceptional wines. Learn more about the region and the wines of North Island with technical and enological descriptions.

Great red wines of North Island

See the top 100 best red wines of North Island

Want to buy a red wine of North Island cheap or sell a red wine of North Island at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a red wine of North Island

Red wines from the region of North Island go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, pasta or veal such as recipes of grandma melanie's cassoulet, fideuà (paella with pasta and fish) or festive chinese fondue.

Organoleptic analysis of red wine of North Island

On the nose the red wine of the region of North Island. often reveals types of flavors of cream, cherry or oaky and sometimes also flavors of smoke, earthy or blackberry. In the mouth the red wine of the region of North Island. is a powerful with a nice balance between acidity and tannins.

The best vintages in red wine of North Island

  • 1998With an average score of 4.80/5
  • 1997With an average score of 4.80/5
  • 1996With an average score of 4.80/5
  • 2000With an average score of 4.60/5
  • 2006With an average score of 4.56/5
  • 2005With an average score of 4.51/5

The most used grape varieties in red wine of North Island

  • Shiraz/Syrah
  • Merlot
  • Pinot Noir
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Malbec

The best wineries and winemakers for red wine of North Island

A wine route planned in the region of North Island? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best red wine of North Island.

Discovering the wine region of North Island

New-zealand/north-island/northland">Northland, as its name suggests, is New Zealand's northernmost wine-producing region, around four hours' drive northwest of the country's largest city, Auckland. Most of the Northland region's wineries are situated on the east coast, particularly around the Bay of Islands and the Karikari Pensinula, with another cluster on the west coast near Kaitaia. The region's red wines are mostly produced from Syrah, Pinotage">Pinotage and the Hybrid variety Chambourcin. Chardonnay leads the way for white wine grape varieties; Pinot Gris, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc are among the other varieties cultivated here.

Although Northland's contribution to the New Zealand wine industry is minuscule (in 2013, the region crushed 130 metric tonnes of grapes, compared to Marlborough's 250,000), it is important historically. The first vines were planted in the Bay of Islands in 1819, a Full 30 years before missionaries began planting in the Hawkes Bay. The founding father of viticulture in the Antipodes, James Busby, had a Vineyard at his house at Waitangi before going on to establish the Hunter Valley wine region in Australia. This Waitangi property is also where New Zealand's founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi, was signed in 1840.

In the late 1800s, kauri-gum diggers from Croatia began to move into the area in search of fortune, bringing winemaking traditions from their homeland. While viticulture in the region has never been viable on a large scale, Northland's boutique wine industry is growing fast, with the Northland Wine Growers Association (formed in 2007) boasting a membership of more than 50. Northland's sub-tropical Climate is unique in New Zealand. Warm, humid summers and rainy winters are challenging for growers, who must employ careful vineyard techniques to avoid mildew and rot.

Great white wines of North Island

See the top 100 best white wines of North Island

Want to buy a white wine of North Island cheap or sell a white wine of North Island at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a white wine of North Island

White wines from the region of North Island go well with generally quite well with dishes of shellfish, vegetarian or goat cheese such as recipes of natural breton lobster, light tuna-tomato quiche (without cream) or pizza goat cheese honey cream.

Organoleptic analysis of white wine of North Island

On the nose the white wine of the region of North Island. often reveals types of flavors of grapefruit, tropical or citrus and sometimes also flavors of peach, lime or pear. In the mouth the white wine of the region of North Island. is a with a nice freshness.

The best vintages in white wine of North Island

  • 2008With an average score of 4.10/5
  • 2020With an average score of 3.89/5
  • 2014With an average score of 3.83/5
  • 2018With an average score of 3.77/5
  • 2015With an average score of 3.76/5
  • 2017With an average score of 3.75/5

The most used grape varieties in white wine of North Island

  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Chardonnay
  • Pinot Gris

The best wineries and winemakers for white wine of North Island

A wine route planned in the region of North Island? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best white wine of North Island.

Discover the grape variety: Merlot

Merlot noir is a grape variety that originated in France (Bordeaux). It produces a variety of grape specially used for wine making. It is rare to find this grape to eat on our tables. This variety of grape is characterized by small to medium sized bunches, and medium sized grapes. Merlot noir can be found in many vineyards: South West, Languedoc & Roussillon, Cognac, Bordeaux, Loire Valley, Armagnac, Burgundy, Jura, Champagne, Rhone Valley, Beaujolais, Provence & Corsica, Savoie & Bugey.

Great sparkling wines of North Island

See the top 100 best sparkling wines of North Island

Want to buy a sparkling wine of North Island cheap or sell a sparkling wine of North Island at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a sparkling wine of North Island

Sparkling wines from the region of North Island go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or vegetarian such as recipes of quiche without eggs, papillotes of simple salmon steaks or quiche lorraine.

Organoleptic analysis of sparkling wine of North Island

On the nose the sparkling wine of the region of North Island. often reveals types of flavors of cream, grapefruit or citrus and sometimes also flavors of apples, peach or earthy.

The best vintages in sparkling wine of North Island

  • 2019With an average score of 4.20/5
  • 2015With an average score of 4.00/5
  • 2011With an average score of 3.90/5
  • 2016With an average score of 3.84/5
  • 2020With an average score of 3.80/5
  • 2018With an average score of 3.80/5

The most used grape varieties in sparkling wine of North Island

  • Chardonnay
  • Pinot Noir
  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Moscato
  • Pinot Gris

The best wineries and winemakers for sparkling wine of North Island

A wine route planned in the region of North Island? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best sparkling wine of North Island.

The word of the wine: Vineyard

Said of a wine with a certain alcoholic richness and clearly showing the characteristics that distinguish wine from other alcoholic beverages.

Great pink wines of North Island

See the top 100 best pink wines of North Island

Want to buy a pink wine of North Island cheap or sell a pink wine of North Island at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a pink wine of North Island

Pink wines from the region of North Island go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, game (deer, venison) or rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) such as recipes of pastasciutta (corsica), lamb chops marinated with herbs or salmon in foil in the microwave.

Organoleptic analysis of pink wine of North Island

On the nose the pink wine of the region of North Island. often reveals types of flavors of strawberries, red fruit or tropical fruit and sometimes also flavors of tree fruit, citrus fruit or non oak.

The best vintages in pink wine of North Island

  • 2014With an average score of 4.40/5
  • 0With an average score of 3.85/5
  • 2020With an average score of 3.80/5
  • 2017With an average score of 3.73/5
  • 2019With an average score of 3.58/5
  • 2018With an average score of 3.50/5

The most used grape varieties in pink wine of North Island

  • Merlot
  • Pinot Noir
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Shiraz/Syrah
  • Cabernet Sauvignon

The best wineries and winemakers for pink wine of North Island

A wine route planned in the region of North Island? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best pink wine of North Island.

Discover the grape variety: Malbec

Malbec, a high-yielding red grape variety, produces tannic and colourful wines. It is produced in different wine-growing regions and changes its name according to the grape variety. Called Auxerrois in Cahors, Malbec in Bordeaux, it is also known as Côt. 6,000 hectares of the Malbec grape are grown in France (in decline since the 1950s). Malbec is also very successful in Argentina. The country has become the world's leading producer of Malbec and offers wines with great potential.

Great sweet wines of North Island

See the top 100 best sweet wines of North Island

Want to buy a sweet wine of North Island cheap or sell a sweet wine of North Island at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a sweet wine of North Island

Sweet wines from the region of North Island go well with generally quite well with dishes of spicy food, sweet desserts or pork such as recipes of veal axoa (basque country), traditional pastry flan or green lentils strasbourg style.

Organoleptic analysis of sweet wine of North Island

On the nose the sweet wine of the region of North Island. often reveals types of flavors of earth, microbio or oak and sometimes also flavors of tree fruit, citrus fruit or floral.

The best vintages in sweet wine of North Island

  • 2014With an average score of 3.98/5
  • 2016With an average score of 3.94/5
  • 2011With an average score of 3.93/5
  • 2018With an average score of 3.89/5
  • 0With an average score of 3.88/5
  • 2017With an average score of 3.86/5

The most used grape varieties in sweet wine of North Island

  • Riesling
  • Sémillon
  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Muscat Blanc
  • Müller-Thurgau
  • Chenin Blanc

The best wineries and winemakers for sweet wine of North Island

A wine route planned in the region of North Island? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best sweet wine of North Island.

The word of the wine: N-D

Negociant-distributor. In Champagne, a company that buys finished wines in bottles that are dressed under a brand name with the merchant's own labels.

Great natural sweet wines of North Island

See the top 100 best natural sweet wines of North Island

Want to buy a natural-sweet wine of North Island cheap or sell a natural-sweet wine of North Island at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.

Food and wine pairing with a natural-sweet wine of North Island

Natural sweet wines from the region of North Island go well with generally quite well with dishes of veal, pork or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of alsatian wine pie, chicken ballotine with ham and mushrooms or rabbit with mustard, thyme and cream.

Organoleptic analysis of natural-sweet wine of North Island

On the nose the natural sweet wine of the region of North Island. often reveals types of flavors of non oak, microbio or oak and sometimes also flavors of dried fruit. In the mouth the natural sweet wine of the region of North Island. is a powerful with a lot of tannins present in the mouth.

The best vintages in natural-sweet wine of North Island

  • 1980With an average score of 4.40/5
  • 0With an average score of 4.11/5

The most used grape varieties in natural-sweet wine of North Island

  • Shiraz/Syrah
  • Pinot Noir
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Cabernet Franc
  • Chardonnay
  • Touriga Nacional

The best wineries and winemakers for natural-sweet wine of North Island

A wine route planned in the region of North Island? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best natural-sweet wine of North Island.

Discover the grape variety: Cabernet franc

Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest red grape varieties in Bordeaux. The Libourne region is its terroir where it develops best. The terroirs of Saint-Emilion and Fronsac allow it to mature and develop its best range of aromas. It is also the majority in many blends. The very famous Château Cheval Blanc, for example, uses 60% Cabernet Franc. The wines produced with Cabernet Franc are medium in colour with fine tannins and subtle aromas of small red fruits and spices. When blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, it brings complexity and a bouquet of aromas to the wine. It produces fruity wines that can be drunk quite quickly, but whose great vintages can be kept for a long time. It is an earlier grape variety than Cabernet Sauvignon, which means that it is planted as far north as the Loire Valley. In Anjou, it is also used to make sweet rosé wines. Cabernet Franc is now used in some twenty countries in Europe and throughout the world.

A wine route in the region of North Island ? Visit the most beautiful wine towns and villages