The Gisborne wine region is located on New Zealand‘s most easterly tip and is closest to the international dateline, so it has the distinction of being one of the first places in the world to see the sun each day. It is on the same parallel as Spain‘s Malaga and Australia¡®s Melbourne.

Early Maori history records that the waka, or canoe, named Horouta landed near what is now Gisborne, and Young Nick‘s Head is named after the cabin boy on Captain James Cook‘s voyage to New Zealand in 1769 who first sighted land. But the good captain was a might hasty in naming the region Poverty Bay, because its mild winters, warm summers and fertile soils are perfect for growing a wide range of crops.

The first vines were planted by mistake by Marist missionaries in 1850. They were actually heading for Hawke‘s Bay, finally getting there and establishing Mission Vineyards. Frederick Wohnseidler planted the first commercial vineyard in the Gisborne region in 1921 at Waihirere. He was still producing small quantities of wine at his death in 1958. During the 1970s two Auckland­based companies, Corbans and Montana, planted extensive vineyards and established wineries.

Today Gisborne is the third­largest wine region in the country, with close to 2000 hectares under vines, but most of the crop is shipped to producers in Auckland and Hawke‘s Bay.

The region produces some of the country‘s finest early­drinking white wines, particularly Chardonnay, which is by far the most widely planted variety, as it ripens much earlier than in southern wine regions.

Gisborne has styled itself the Chardonnay Capital of New Zealand, and to emphasise this, each October it holds The International Chardonnay Challenge, the only New Zealand competition devoted to a single variety. Gisborne is anything but a single variety region, as it also produces outstanding Rieslings and Gewurztraminers, as well as Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc.

The region is easy to navigate, as there are only 22 wineries. Some have excellent facilities for visitors, and all offer a diverse range of wine styles that display distinctive regional characteristics. To complement the wines there is a superb selection of sub­tropical fruit, olive oils, cheeses, truffles and all manner of gourmet delicacies and magnificent seafood. Many of these products are available at the farm gate or at the open­air market held each Saturday in the centre of town.

Gisborne is a wonderfully relaxing destination and is well worth visiting for a long weekend to take in all that it has to offer and enjoy the unspoilt beaches and scenic beauty.