Mercury Bay Estate

        14/20
761A Purangi Road, Cooks Beach, RD1,
Whitianga, New Zealand.

Open  11am-3pm Tues-Fri 11am-4pm Sat, 10am-3pm Sun & Mon
Cards AE,MC,V
Picture
View from Mercury Bay Estate
The Verdict

To "Cellarbrate":  Nice outlook over Cooks Bay and the vineyards

To "Wine about": Only option is to pay for a limited flight of wines rather than paying a tasting fee with greater choice

Would we visit again: Probably not

How many bottles did we buy: 1 and a tasting flight

Suitable for: Couples, Small groups

Visited October 2012
Getting There
Country
State/Province
Region
Accessibility
New Zealand
North Island
Coromandel
Well sign posted, paved driveway
Upon Arrival
Parking
Setting

Commercial/Boutique
Ambiance

Airconditioning/Fireplace
Plenty of paved parking
Nice gardens with pretty view over the vineyards towards Cooks Bay.  Popular wedding venue
Boutique
Very rustic design. Exposed beams, wine barrels, open windows to the view
Yes/No
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
Tasting flights only of 2 or 4 wines
None in particular
No wait
Excellent
Fairly friendly staff
No
You are encouraged to do your tasting flight at one of the tables in the cellar door/café, if space is available
No
Food Offering
Yes/No
Restaurant/Café/Tasting platter
Yes
Café with different menus of brunch/lunch or tasting platters available.  We did not eat here but the food that came out while we were tasting looked very nice. 
Hip Pocket
Price range of wines
Tasting Fee
Refundable on purchase?
Tour Fee
Delivery cost per dozen
Club Membership with Discounts etc
$24-40
$8 for 2 tastes or $14 for 4 tastes (We shared 4)
No
N/A
Unsure
Yes, discounts and special events, no purchase requirement.
Other features, facilities and offerings
Gift Shop
Toys/play area for kids
Dog friendly
By the way...
Yes
No, but plenty of open outdoor space
No
This winery is more like a wine shop and café, than a cellar door.  You are expected to buy your tasting flight (granted they are larger than a normal taste) however we did find that it limited our experience and therefore the number of bottles we purchased. 
cellar doors with outdoor seating, wineries with outdoor seating, wineries with seated tastings, cellar doors with seated tastings, 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