Mercury Bay Winery - Cooks Beach - Coromandel Peninsula

by Gail
(Auckland)

We had been walking along the clifftops nearby and passed the Mercury Bay Winery at Cooks Beach, which is not far from the wharf where the ferry arrives from Whitianga.

Always keen to try a new winery we drove up and wandered in. We had chosen the right day...a Saturday. Not only were there wine tastings but they served freshly made pizzas and had a two piece band entertaining those seated outside at the tables dotted around the lawn.

Having only been opened this last summer...this is a very new winery, yet they already have one wine with a gold award! They have supplemented their wines grown from their own Cook Beach grapes with a lovely selection of Hawkes Bay wines.

Their rose was quite distinctive with fruity cherry and raspberry flavours. Unfortunately they had sold out. The Cooks Beach Pinot Noir was a cherry plum blend and a good rich pinot.

Our favourite, which we bought a bottle of to accompany the delicious pizzas, was the Cabernet Merlot Franc. This wine was delicious! With plum and blackberry coming through and mild overtones of what I call "cowshed" we really enjoyed this wine.

The vineyard also offers a crisp citrusy sauvignon blanc, a very mildly oaked chardonnay, merlot...which has sold out, and a reisling.

It is well worth a visit...and on a weekend you can expect there may be entertainment and a small but tasty menu for a pleasant day in the vineyard.