Gisborne Wineries: NZ’s Most Underrated Wine Region
Updated: Sep 2
When people talk about New Zealand wine, the conversation usually drifts quickly toward Marlborough, Central Otago, or Hawke’s Bay.
Gisborne often gets overlooked.
Which is strange, because this region has been producing wine for generations and remains one of the sunniest grape-growing areas in the country.
In many ways, Gisborne’s wine scene reflects the city itself:
less commercialised
less crowded
more relaxed
and quietly confident without needing constant attention.
The wineries here are not built around large-scale wine tourism spectacle. They feel more personal than that. Tastings often feel slower, conversations feel more genuine, and the scenery carries the same East Coast calm that defines much of Gisborne life.
For visitors wanting a wine experience without pretension, Gisborne can be surprisingly rewarding.
Why Gisborne Produces Great Wine
The region’s climate does much of the work naturally.
Long sunshine hours, warm temperatures, fertile plains, and coastal influences create ideal growing conditions for several grape varieties, particularly Chardonnay, which Gisborne became internationally known for decades ago.
In fact, Gisborne has often been referred to as the Chardonnay capital of New Zealand.
But there is more happening here than many people realise.
The region also produces:
Gewürztraminer
Viognier
Pinot Gris
Chenin Blanc
Merlot
Syrah
Rosé varieties
experimental boutique wines
And increasingly, smaller producers are leaning into low-intervention winemaking and boutique vineyard experiences that suit Gisborne’s personality perfectly.
Gisborne Wine Feels Different
Part of the appeal is the atmosphere surrounding it.
Wine tasting in Gisborne rarely feels rushed.
You are not fighting crowds or moving through highly commercialised cellar-door circuits. Instead, the experience feels tied closely to the slower Gisborne rhythm:
sunlight
open roads
vineyards
ocean air
long lunches
and afternoons that quietly disappear into evening.
That relaxed environment changes how people experience wine itself.
Millton Vineyards & Winery: A Gisborne Wine Legacy
Location: 119 Papatu Road, Manutuke, Gisborne
Phone: 021 502 534
Website: www.millton.co.nz
Visitor Status: Cellar door closed. No tastings or public visits.
If there is one winery most closely associated with Gisborne wine culture, it is probably Millton Vineyards & Winery.
For more than four decades, Millton Vineyards was one of the most distinctive names in Gisborne wine.
From its vineyards at Manutuke, James and Annie Millton built an international reputation while pursuing an approach to grape growing that, when they began, was anything but conventional.
Now that remarkable chapter has come to an end.
After more than 41 vintages, James and Annie announced their retirement in November 2025. The 2025 vintage was the final vintage produced by The Millton Vineyard. The cellar door has since closed and Millton is no longer hosting wine tastings, wine sales or public visits.
For Gisborne, it represents more than the closure of another winery.
It is the end of one of the most influential stories in the city's modern wine history that remains within Gisborne's unique wine industry.
Matawhero Wines
Location: RD1/189 Riverpoint Road, Matawhero, Gisborne.
Phone: 06 867 6140
Cellar Door Hours: Mon - Fri Closed
Sat - Sun 12:00pm - 4:00pm
Matawhero Winery carries enormous historical significance within New Zealand wine.
Originally founded by pioneering winemaker Denis Irwin, the winery helped challenge assumptions about what Gisborne wine could become.
Today, Matawhero remains respected for approachable, expressive wines and a relaxed tasting environment that reflects Gisborne’s wider hospitality culture.
The winery also sits within beautiful vineyard surroundings that feel unmistakably Gisborne.
Stay Among the Vines
Many visitors arrive for the wine tasting and then discover something even better: you can stay overnight right in the vineyard.
Matawhero's vineyard accommodation offers a peaceful rural escape with vineyard views, modern comforts, and easy access to both the winery and central Gisborne.
Whether you're visiting Gisborne for a weekend, exploring the region's wineries, or simply looking for somewhere special to stay, Matawhero deserves a place on your itinerary.
Check Rooms, Availability & Book Matawhero Wines →
Wrights Vineyard & Winery
Location: 1093 Wharerata Road, Manutuke, Gisborne NZ.
Phone: 027 656 8222
Hours: Mon Closed
Tue - Thu 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Fri Closed
Sat 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Sun Closed
Wrights Vineyard & Winery offers one of the more intimate and boutique wine experiences in the region.
Family-owned and deeply local, the winery combines vineyard tastings with relaxed hospitality and excellent food. The setting feels calm, rural, and quietly removed from the pace of larger tourism regions.
This is often the kind of place visitors remember most:
smaller scale
genuine conversation
great wine
beautiful surrounding
Wine & The Gisborne Lifestyle
Part of what makes Gisborne wineries appealing is how naturally they connect to the wider lifestyle of the region.
Wine tasting here rarely feels isolated from the environment around it.
You can:
surf in the morning
visit vineyards in the afternoon
watch sunset beside the ocean afterwards
That flow between beaches, vineyards, and slower outdoor living gives Gisborne a unique wine identity.
The experience feels grounded rather than curated.
Why Gisborne Wine Remains Underrated
In some ways, Gisborne benefits from being overlooked.
The wine scene has avoided becoming over-commercialised. Many wineries still feel approachable and locally connected rather than heavily tourism-driven.
That authenticity matters.
Visitors often arrive without major expectations and leave genuinely surprised by:
the wine quality
the scenery
the hospitality
the slower atmosphere
the absence of crowds
Gisborne wine country feels less like a wine industry and more like a natural extension of Gisborne living itself.
Local Tips
Chardonnay remains the signature variety of the region and is worth exploring properly.
Many wineries are best experienced slowly rather than trying to rush through multiple cellar doors.
Summer and autumn offer ideal vineyard conditions.
Pair winery visits with beach drives or coastal walks for the full Gisborne experience.
Book ahead for lunch during peak summer periods.
