Loved my tasting at this winery. Very casual tasting. They actually own two wineries. Muddy Waters…read morehas older vines and Greystone has younger. You can tell in the taste but I highly preferred the Greystone wines better. I stopped here on a 4 winery tour. This winery was my favorite of all! So much we bought a bottle of their SB to go. They also sell in the states under the name Greys Peaks. Will be on the look out for them.

Loved it. Small and intimate. We were the only ones tasting the day we stopped by. I normally…read moredon't like Sauvignon blanc but the one here is wonderful. Staff was very nice even giving me some free bubble wrap to get my bottle home.

What a beautiful setting for lunch and a wine tasting. This is the quadfecta: Beatiful…read morevenue/setting, excellent wines, delicious meals, and pleasant/knowledgeable/attentive staff. The setting is lovely, with indoor and outdoor options. Even though this venue can cater to large tour groups, it doesn't feel institutional/cafeteria style, or like livestock herding like some other more commercial options we experienced in Australia. Lots of delicious options on the menu. We can attest to the steak sandwich and sliders. And the wines are all sublime. Definitely recommended for 2 or 200.

Waipara Hills Wine Estate is like driving up to a Texas Hill Country Mansion; this massive…read morelimestone estate has exceptional curb appeal and a high-class tasting room. The tasting area is bright with floor to ceiling windows, and the shelves are full of fancy wine additions such as decorative plates, wine stands and decanters. On to the wine tasting. The lady who walked us through our tasting (blonde, short curly hair) is so bubbly and fun to be around. We tried all of the wines Waipara had available to taste and she never let our glasses go empty. She is knowledgeable and can explain wines to you in a fascinating and easy to understand manner (not that it's that confusing, but sometimes after a glass or two things don't make so much sense anymore). The only draw back is that despite all of the options of wines there are to taste, I wasn't that fond of too many of them. After the tasting I recommend having lunch on their outdoor patio. You'll have a beautiful view overlooking the mountains and the vines while enjoying some of the best tapas in the area. Their lamb and beef sliders are not to passed up and their tasting plate for 4 (breads, cheese, dips, gazpacho, nuts, meats) is the perfect amount for a group of friends. It's a great place to relax for an afternoon where you will be well taken care of. If you arrive before 3 you can order from their lunch menu (we didn't make it in time). If you're passing through or enjoying the Waipara Wine Region, add Waipara Hills to your list!

On our way back from Akaroa, we decided to stop into a winery on the way back into Christchurch…read more That place was Rossendale. It's close to The Bicycle Theft restaurant. They're also popular for weddings and events. We dropped in on a Tuesday afternoon (around 3:15pm). You need to walk to the office and ring/call for someone upstairs if you want to do a wine tasting. Our host was very sweet and conversational. The wine tasting was free and guess what, we got to try 8 different wines! The most samples given out of all the wineries we've went to. - Rossendale Sauvignon blanc 2017 - smooth and crisp. We bought a bottle ($13.00 NZD). Apparently, you can find this in all the Earls Restaurants in Canada (but it's under the label Seven Terraces). - Rossendale pinot gris 2017 - Rossendale chardonnay 2016 - Cottesbrook gewurtztraminer 2017 - this is their label that they use in the States. - Rossendale sparkling sauvignon blanc 2017 - Rossendale gewurtztraminer dessert wine 2012 - you can only get this in the shop. This is from when they used to run a restaurant. Pretty interesting as it's aged in brandy and has a 19% alcohol level. - Rossendale pinot noir 2016 - Rossendale pinot noir fortified 2012 - this was between a sherry and a port. Again, super different and had nice brandy tones. Smooth and went down easy. Would be great on a cold winter night. Pretty impressed with the friendly service and good variety of wines. Definitely worth a visit!

The entree took half an hour to arrive. Main meals took an hour after that - were tiny portions…read more The coq au vin had reheated mushrooms, the pork belly was about 5cm x 5cm and had a pitiful amount of beans with it. Although well cooked, the delays made us irritable, and portions that don't fill a person up is not ideal. We ordered desserts and 40 minutes later they were delivered to 2 different tables (neither of which were our table), before we took our leave. Would not recommend unless you are only getting taster options.

When we approached this tasting room, I seriously thought it was closed. What a bummer! Especially…read moresince we had driven 40 minutes to get there. We walked around back and saw an open door by the kitchen. Behold! They friendly staff let us in and we had a private wine tasting for the four of us. The Rosè is devine. I'm usually not a rosè fan by any means. We bought two cases (Pinot noir, rose, Pinot Gris and Riesling. Yes they let us mix the cases!) and were on our way. I highly suggest stopping by if you're in the area!