Secrets for the epicurious

Among the big names are Cable Bay, Te Whau Vineyard, Passage Rock and Te Motu (all of which have on-site restaurants), Stonyridge, Goldwater Estate, Peninsula Estate, Obsidian and newly opened Italian-themed Poderi Crisci.

The Waiheke Island Wine Festival is held annually in February, while boutique olive oil producer Rangihoua Estate welcomes visitors and the Waiheke Wine Centre is the perfect place to pick up a couple of bottles to take home.

WHERE TO EAT Family-owned Mudbrick vineyard and restaurant has superb views of Auckland when the weather gods are smiling. It has a Tuscan feel and many of the dishes feature vegetables and herbs from the restaurant's cottage garden. Dishes here include Waiheke Island lamb served three ways with mushroom risotto and walnuts ($39). It is open daily and the cellar shop also sells preserves made from fruit grown on the property. Phone +64 9 372 9050 or see mudbrick.co.nz.

WHERE TO STAY Visiting movie stars and television personalities head for the extremely chic The Boatshed, which is an exclusive but relaxed retreat with just a handful of rooms. Overlooking peaceful Oneroa Bay, The Boatshed has gorgeous suites, attentive service and outstanding food. There's a nautical theme here but everything is tasteful the owner is one of New Zealand's leading architects. The Lighthouse, a three-level suite, offers absolute seclusion.

Phone +64 9 372 3242 or see boatshed.co.nz.

FURTHER INFORMATION See waiheke.co.nz.

Martinborough

Just a one-hour drive from Wellington's funky Cuba Street precinct and star restaurants such as Citron and Logan Brown is Martinborough, a tiny town in the South Wairarapa region that has established itself as a European-style "wine village" producing some of the best pinot noir in the country.

Martinborough is 65 kilometres east of Wellington over the Rimutaka Range and the neighbouring towns of Carterton and Greytown (a lovely spot to stop and browse the antique stores and heritage stores) are also popular with visitors. Those with sweet tooths should check out the Schoc Chocolate Therapy Shop and the pastries at The French Baker.

One of the highlights of Martinborough itself is that several of the best cellar doors are within walking distance of each other, although the Wairarapa wine region extends well out of the town, into Masterton, Gladstone and several other attractive hamlets.

An alternative to driving is catching a train to Featherston and being picked up by a local tour operator for a cellar-door drive.

Pinot noirs here are rich and complex, while chardonnay, riesling and pinot gris also do well. Wairarapa-Martinborough produces just 3 per cent of New Zealand's wines because it largely features small boutique wineries that are often family-owned.

Palliser Estate Wines, Murdoch James, Martinborough Vineyard, Ata Rangi, Te Kairanga, Tirohana Estate and Dry River are among the most prominent but also look out for smaller labels such as Gladstone Vineyard (a great spot for lunch), Matahiwi Estate, Paddy Borthwick, Schubert Wines, Big Sky and Urlar.

On the third Sunday in November, the region's wines are celebrated in the Toast Martinborough wine festival, which attracts more than 10,000 visitors. The Wairarapa Wines Harvest Festival, meanwhile, will be held on the banks of the Ruamahanga River on March 20 next year.

The area prides itself on locally grown produce that is used by the cafes, pubs and restaurants and can be sampled at the Village Cafe, Providore or Riverview Cafe at Murdoch James (summer only). The food at Peppers Martinborough Hotel and newcomer Brasserie One is also highly rated.

WHERE TO EAT Wendy Campbell's French Bistro is a long-time Martinborough favourite that was named New Zealand's best regional restaurant in 2008. A buzzy local just off the town square, it serves local delicacies such as whitebait and paua (a shellfish). The dishes often have a French theme (duck a la Orange with puy lentils, $39) and there's an excellent wine list with more than two dozen pinots to choose from. Phone +64 6 306 8863.

WHERE TO STAY Parehua Country Estate is set in two hectares of parkland within walking distance of picturesque Martinborough village. Guests are accommodated in private, luxurious villas, cottages or suites set among landscaped gardens, many overlooking a pretty lake. A new restaurant is about to open and there is a range of packages, including the Wine and Food escape ($750 for two people), which includes two nights in a luxury suite, breakfasts, a bottle of local wine, a gourmet hamper and use of bikes to explore the region. Phone +64 6 306 8405 or see parehua.co.nz.

FURTHER INFORMATION

See winesfrommartinborough.com.

Waipara Valley

Waipara is a tiny town in North Canterbury, just 45 minutes' drive north of Christchurch, that has built a formidable reputation for the quality of its wines. Pinot noir, riesling, pinot gris and chardonnay thrive in a district that has the highest summer temperatures and the lowest rainfall of any of the New Zealand wine regions.

Star names here include Pegasus Bay, Fiddler's Green, Daniel Schuster, Torlesse, Waipara Downs, Waipara Springs and Camshorn, owned by Montana. Some of the smaller wineries are open by appointment only but several welcome visitors to their rural cellar doors. Olives and lavender are also grown here.

Pegasus Bay, the Mudhouse and Waipara Springs all have on-site restaurants, while the Nor'Wester Cafe at nearby Amberley is reliably good for food and the Waipara Hotel is your typical country pub. The Waipara Valley Wine and Food Celebration is held on the last Sunday in March in the Glenmark Church grounds.

After food and wine tastings, visitors can take a ride on the historic Weka Pass Heritage Railway, which runs steam trains 12 kilometres to Waikari on the first and third Sundays of each month and on public holidays.

WHERE TO EAT Pegasus Bay winery, just north of the town of Amberley, is the biggest winery in the region, producing some of the best rieslings in New Zealand (in four different styles) and a very good range of other wines. The cellar door and restaurant are in a beautiful garden setting where you can enjoy dishes such as black truffle, taleggio, parmesan and chive frittata ($24) or crisp confit of pork belly, harissa, apple and sorrel salad and calvados jus ($35). Desserts and dessert wines are a speciality. Phone +64 3 314 6869 or see pegasusbay.com.

WHERE TO STAY Dunnolly Cottage has a self-contained cottage and two comfortable B&B rooms but with little to do at night it may pay to commute from Christchurch, where the George Hotel, a luxury boutique establishment that's part of the Small Luxury Hotels group, has rooms just across the road from Hagley Park and a brisk stroll from downtown.

There are just 53 rooms, the service is excellent and you can choose from two superb on-site restaurants, Pescatore and 50 On Park. Phone 1800 251 958 or see slh.com/thegeorge.

FURTHER INFORMATION

See alpinepacifictourism.co.nz.

The writer was a guest of Air New Zealand.

TRIP NOTES

- GETTING THERE Air New Zealand flies direct from Sydney to Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland daily with connections to 27 domestic destinations in New Zealand. See airnewzealand.com.au.