Take the 35-minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland to Waiheke Island (www.waihekewine.co.nz), which is lined with olive groves and packed with restaurants and boutique wineries offering a wide variety of domestic vintages. At Te Whau vineyard’s cliff-top restaurant, there’s an award-winning wine list and 360-degree views of the bay. Or set aside a few hours for nearby Mudbrick Vineyard’s 10-course tasting menu, which pairs house reds and whites with small plates like crayfish-and-ricotta ravioli and paua sashimi.
Copyright © 2008, American Express Publishing. All rights reserved.