Waiheke Island > Cable Bay Vineyards
Cable Bay Vineyards |
17/20 |
12 Nick Johnstone Drive, Oneroa, Waiheke Island, New Zealand
Open 11am to 5pm, 7 days Cards MC,V, AE |
The Verdict
To "Cellarbrate": Friendly, knowledgeable and efficient staff, cellar door overlooking the vat room has a "cave like" feel to it. There are also a number of different areas to enjoy at this establishment and if you have time, we recommend setting aside and afternoon to spend here To "Wine about": Relatively expensive tasting fee that is non refundable (although we found this policy to be fairly standard on Waiheke Island) How many bottles did we buy: 0 (there is a strict 5pm wine sale cut-off...which we missed...) Suitable for: Couples, Groups and overseas visitiors. Visited May 2016 (weekday) |
Getting There
|
Country
State/Province
Region
Accessibility
|
New Zealand
North Island
Waiheke Island
Paved road and driveway. An approximate 20 minute walk from the centre of Oneroa and 30 minutes from the passenger ferry. Walk is reasonably flat
|
Upon Arrival
|
Parking
Setting
Commercial/Boutique
Ambiance
Airconditioning/Fireplace
|
There are a lot of paved parking spaces, however this vineyard also has a popular formal restaurant and informal restaurant so carparking could be a problem at times
The cellar door is a small part of a very large complex of restaurants and bars that have the most wonderful outlook over lawns down to Cable Bay and onwards to Auckland city in the distance. It has some sculptures and well laid out herb and vegetable gardens
Boutique
The dining areas of the establishment have taken the prime positions in the complex for the extraordinary views, however the cellar door is very modern with an angular ceiling, exposed metal beams and hardwood floors, with a "cave like" feel. There is also a window that overlooks the working winery below which is quite interesting
Yes/Yes (in the restaurant)
|
Tasting Experience
|
Number of wines on tasting
Particular wines or varietals known for
Wait time
Knowledge of wines
Staff attitude
Winery Tour Offered
Tasting seating available at counter
Tasting sheet/order form provided for notes
|
5
Syrah
There was a slight wait time, but the cellar door was incredibly busy. The assistant handled it extremely well, giving us a tasting list and telling us to grab a seat on the couch and he would bring the wines over. This made it quite a relaxing experience and the assistant never forgot to come over for our next tasting
Good knowledge of the wines
Friendly, handled the crowd of people with professionalism and efficiency
No
There was no seating at the tasting bench but we were encouraged to take a seat on the nice leather couch in the corner of the cellar door overlooking the vat room
There were tasting sheets provided
|
Food Offering
|
Yes/No
Restaurant/Café/Tasting platter
|
Yes
There are two restaurants on site; the fine dining "Dining Room" and the more casual "Verandah". We dined in the "Dining Room" and enjoyed our meal very much with an amazing view out towards Cable Bay and Auckland. There are also beanbags out on the lawn where many people settle in for the afternoon with a glass of wine and watch the sun set
|
Hip Pocket
|
Price range of wines
Tasting Fee
Refundable on purchase?
Tour Fee
Delivery cost per dozen
Club Membership with Discounts etc
|
$28-$48
$10 for 5 wines
Yes, on purchase of 2 bottles
N/A
$5-$35
10% discount on wine, with discounted freight and special invitations for events for a commitment to purchase 1 dozen wines a year
|
Other features, facilities and offerings
|
Gift Shop
Toys/play area for kids
Dog friendly
By the way...
|
Basic gift shop with brand wine accessories for sale
No
Yes, outside only
This is one of the most picturesque cellar doors we have been to and, coupled with it's proximity to the ferry and Oneroa, means it is a tourism favourite. While this means it can get quite busy, we found that the staff are really geared for it and therefore you didn't feel like you needed to be part of a large group to enjoy it. The overall experience here was great, with beautiful food, good atmosphere and really friendly and efficient staff. Make sure you check out the wine barrel lined fire place in the bar area, it's pretty cool!
|
cellar doors suitable for large groups, wineries suitable for large groups, dog friendly wineries, dog friendly cellar doors, pet friendly cellar doors, pet friendly wineries, cellar doors with air-conditioning, wineries with air-conditioning, cellar doors with water views, wineries with water views, wineries with vineyard views, cellar doors with vineyard views, cellar doors with parking, wineries with parking, wineries with food, cellar doors with food, cellar doors with café, wineries with café, wineries with restaurant, cellar doors with restaurant, cellar doors with outdoor dining, wineries with outdoor dining, wineries with gift shop, cellar doors with gift shop