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    John Hill Estate Vineyard

    3.0 (1 review)
    ModerateWineries

    By appointment only

    John Hill Estate Vineyard Photos

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    11 years ago

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    Villa Maria - The gray bin where the grapes are loaded into to be processed.

    Villa Maria

    4.5(10 reviews)
    27.9 kmMangere
    $$$

    Amazing Sunday lunch here .... we came for a late lunch about 130. And there is no more outdoor…read moreseat so we decided to wait till we are seat with an outdoor table as the weather is too good to be indoor! Okay, view is amazing, food is so good and wine is awesome... what more do I want? An easy 5 star for me!

    Superb Service, awesome hospitality, beautiful views, and a delicious lunch!…read more Day two in our New Zealand adventure, care of Villa Maria, we finally got a chance to meet some of folks who work for the company that made our trip possible. We were toured around the winery and shown where the wine is taken in, where its bottled, filtered, labeled and then packed away. They produce 200,000 bottles of wine a day! We were also shown the locations of their different vineyards throughout New Zealand and the unique qualities of each vineyard. These qualities affect the flavor profile of the grapes used for wine. Did I mention they have certified organic wines too? How impressive,I say! After the tour, we had lunch at the cafe. We got the best seat of the house; outside and in front of the wonderful green winery view. Oh my, how delicious everything was!! I had the Fish of the day which was Halibut and mashed potatoes in a lemony butter sauce while my sister opted for the Duck confit. For dessert, we had the rhubarb cheescake which had an appealing presentation and raspberry sherbet namalaka. We devoured all of our food and probably didn't need to eat for another day or so. I ate more than I usually do and I have no regrets. It was all that good! Bottom line, our trip here was wonderful! Need I say more?

    Photos
    Villa Maria - They don't use cork screws on their bottles instead screw caps.

    They don't use cork screws on their bottles instead screw caps.

    Villa Maria - Dulcét brut is exclusive to Air NZ and only available on their flights. This is a sparkling wine.

    Dulcét brut is exclusive to Air NZ and only available on their flights. This is a sparkling wine.

    Villa Maria - Sterilizing and washing the wine bottles before they load in the juice

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    Sterilizing and washing the wine bottles before they load in the juice

    Te Motu Vineyard

    Te Motu Vineyard

    4.8(22 reviews)
    29.6 km
    $$

    This vineyard was a great way to end your day in Waiheke Island. There were 4 vineyards in this…read morearea #7 on your hop on hop off tour. We chose this place even we walked for 15 minutes . The vineyard has a great view of the grapes, the rough road with lustrous trees to take pictures. At the end of the road this very quaint restaurant was so beautiful. Rustic feeling yet serene when you look around. The staff were very nice. The wine was excellent. Agnes was our attendant, she was nice but not too attentive. We have to looked for her to give our orders. Waited for so long. We tasted their Red snapper so divinely tasteful. The fish was cooked to perfection. The sauce was amazing . Mouthwatering. We got their freshly baked focaccia with olive oil roasted garlic and balsamic vinegar so good. The best Their house salad was excellent. I loved the way all the leafy vegetables weren't cut by a knife. It looked like peeled by hands. So fresh and crunchy when you bite. The wine was good. We got 3 different wine my choice the Shiraz. Even the wait was long I still give them 5 for the view and excellent cuisine. Kudos to the chef.

    We visited this winery as part of a wine tour. The tasting was 4 wines, a white and 3 reds. My fav…read morewas the Te Monty Kokoro. Our guide was well versed in the history of the winery and the making of the wines. Husband isn't as much of a wine drinker so it was nice that our guide offered him some lighter, more mild wines to taste. The tasting room was smaller and very busy with a casual vibe. Great stop.

    Photos
    Te Motu Vineyard - One of the wine tasting

    One of the wine tasting

    Te Motu Vineyard - The wine selection

    The wine selection

    Te Motu Vineyard

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    Mills Reef Winery - Outside seating and some event space

    Mills Reef Winery

    3.8(4 reviews)
    98.5 km
    $$

    Definitely definitely definitely give this place a miss- there are so many cafes with fantastic…read morefood around town now, which are far superior to Mills Reef. This is really a convention centre masquerading as a restaurant- it lacks atmosphere and refinement. For a restaurant which considers itself 'fine dining' the staff, food and dining room lack finesse. We made a booking for a very special occasion for 11.30am. When we arrived we were told that if we ordered within 5 minutes we could order from the brunch menu as opposed to the lunch menu. This appealed to 3 out of 4 of our guests. When the maitre'd came back to us to take our order, he refused to let one guest order from the lunch menu, and the other three from the brunch menu. He said that the chefs don't allow one table to order from different menus. While incredibly frustrating, this wasn't the end of the world. We eventually all ordered- and three meals arrived all at once. We had to wait over 5 minutes for the last meal to arrive. All of the hot meals were served on cold plates! It made for a really unenjoyable experience. One of the hot meals arrived absolutely stone cold, and the bacon was severely undercooked- bordering on raw. We sent the cold meal back, and it arrived back at the table 10 minutes later having been obviously microwaved (everything, including the toast was nuked but soggy). In the mean time another member of our party had ordered a side of hollandaise sauce, because the hollandaise had been omitted from their eggs bene for some reason? It took over 10 minutes for the hollandaise to arrive at the table, and it had completely curdled and been cooked on top- it was like scrambled eggs and completely inedible. Overall the experience was horrendous. I can't recommend this place less. It's not even about the price point- but you can get a far superior meal from an upmarket cafe for a much cheaper price in town. Don't buy in to the hype- Mills Reef is incredibly dated, and the food is absolutely abysmal. To apologise for the horrible experience, we were given a $4 discount on our bill, which is borderline insulting. We didn't want or expect a discount, and were happy to pay and just never return. But after the appalling meal and service, to only offer a $4 discount? Don't even bother offering a discount at all. Unbelievable. Never again.

    Good food. Our table ordered a varied selection of Mains and desserts. I ordered an eye fillet…read morewhich was cooked perfectly although I would have expected more veges on the plate. For dessert I ordered a chocolate mousse which was delish. My wife have a cheese board which was expectationaly generous. The decor is a bit inconsistent. Where we sat it felt Like sitting in a factory. Would visit again when in the area.

    Photos
    Mills Reef Winery - Tasting bar

    Tasting bar

    Mills Reef Winery - Lunch menu at the restaurant

    Lunch menu at the restaurant

    Mills Reef Winery - Pork chili ginger balls appetizer

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    Pork chili ginger balls appetizer

    John Hill Estate Vineyard - wineries - Updated June 2026

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