Festival offers Waiheke’s grape-est hits
Time is key to enjoying Waiheke Wine and Food Festival. Don’t rush it, writes Pamela Wade, who wishes she hadn’t tried to do it in one day.
Please, take it from me: don’t try to do the upcoming Waiheke Wine and Food Festival in just one day. After a literal taster that took in only two vineyards plus a visit to the impressively capacious Wine Centre in the little town of Oneroa, my day – which began at noon – was effectively over by 3pm.
In that scant stretch of time, I had visited the gloriously topiaried Mudbrick, transported myself to Italy at Stonyridge, and been overwhelmed by the sheer variety on offer at the Wine Centre.
If I had attempted tastings at the other seven vineyards included in the programme, not only would I have been completely done for, but I would have whizzed through what should be a rich and leisurely experience.
This three-day festival is the first of its kind on Waiheke, despite the first vines being planted there in 1977.
Since then, ideal conditions have led to a proliferation of vineyards, and there are now more than 30 wineries on the island, from boutique to world-renowned.
Thirteen of these have come together to offer their wines at the Waiheke Wine and Food Festival (May 14-16) along with mainly local musicians and artists, to succour the palate and the spirit.
The whole event has been made as easy as possible. Attendees buy a ticket, which includes a return ferry trip from Auckland city to Matiatia, and a passport enabling unlimited rides on the island’s hop-on, hop-off bus, plus access to special shuttles laid on to access some of the more remote wineries at the eastern end.
At each winery visited, the passport includes a tasting of one, or a selection, of wines, which in most cases are accompanied by complimentary, and complementary, nibbles.
And that’s not all. Each location also features the works of artists, from local photography to a twometre-plus stainless steel incarnation of Claudia
Schiffer, as well as live performances by musicians, culminating at Wild Estate on Sunday afternoon in an irresistibly toetapping free concert by Latin Ska band Radio Rebelde.
Before that, though, there are three full days of roaming Waiheke on a double-decker bus with local commentary, appreciating the scenery, and stopping off wherever the fancy takes you: beaches, shops (some offering Festival Passport specials), museums, cafes.
The main focus though will be the participating vineyards, each with its own vibe and idyllic setting.
Most of them are on the western side of the island, but those who get in early will be able to book seats on the buses heading to the more distant vineyards: Man O’ War, Poderi Crisci and Peacock Sky. These vintners have successfully met the challenge of producing wines that will succeed in dragging visitors’ attention away from their beautiful surroundings.
Each winery has something different to offer: a single glass paired with an amuse-bouche that might be as glorious as a cappuccino-style pumpkin soup, or two half glasses matched with tapas, or three served with Swabian zwiebelkuchen.
At the Wine Centre, there are about a dozen tastings on offer from four island vineyards without cellar doors, as well as nibbles that include seriously famous locally made focaccia. Whetted appetites are well catered for at restaurants in Oneroa and at the vineyards, where the art and music will add to the temptation to linger. This is why trying to cram the festival into one day would be a serious mistake. You have been warned.
Checklist
Buy tickets online through the festival website, and pick up your wristband and passport at the Fullers360 office on arrival at Matiatia. Giving more than $500 value, the ticket price of $180 an adult includes one return ferry trip (valid for a year), the Explorer bus, shuttles and wine/food tastings at nine vineyards and the Wine Centre, plus entry to the closing event.
It is strongly recommended staying on the island, where there is a range of accommodation, from backpackers to lodges and everything in between. See a selection on the festival website.
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