Northland has the distinction of being the cradle of the nation and of New Zealand viticulture. Maori had been established in Northland as early as the 10th century, and it was here that Europeans first settled.

The first waves of Europeans were lawless and bawdy South Sea whalers who found Kororareka (Russell) in the Bay of Islands to be an ideal provisioning port. They were followed predictably by missionaries, among them the Reverend Samuel Marsden, who brought vine cuttings with him, and planted a vineyard in Kerikeri in 1819.

The first person credited with producing wine in New Zealand is James Busby. Busby, who as a young man had spent many years in French wine regions, was appointed British Resident to The Bay of Islands in 1832. He was an enthusiastic proponent of viticulture, and in 1836 he planted a vineyard at Waitangi near where the Treaty House (which he built) now stands. Wine­making, however, went into serious decline, settlers preferring to exploit the kauri forests and gum deposits, and it was not until the 1990s that a revival started to gain momentum.

Longview Estate, just outside Whangarei, established in 1969 by the Vuletich family, is Northland‘s oldest winery. But the 1994 Kaz Syrah re­established Northland‘s reputation as a wine­making region.

Produced by Monty Knight‘s Kaitaia winery, Okahu Estate, the wine won the first gold medal ever awarded to a New Zealand Syrah, and the first to a Northland wine.

There are now 10 wineries in the Northland region stretching from just outside of Whangarei through to the Bay of Islands, and north to Kaitaia and the Karikari Peninsula. Northland enjoys New Zealand‘s warmest climate, regularly recording the country‘s highest temperatures, and it is a perfect year­round destination. There are plenty of accommodation options ranging from resort hotels to home­stays. The bonus is that it has magnificent scenery, superb beaches and distinctive wine styles to suit every palate.

www.northlandnz.com