Home / Great Wine Capital Reserve
Hosted tour · 10:00 to 16:30
Great Wine Capital Reserve, a full day.
Three estates at the pace the region deserves, built around a two hour set menu lunch at Craggy Range. Private and hosted, 10:00 to 16:30 New Zealand time.
The Great Wine Capital Reserve is a private hosted day in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, running 10:00 to 16:30 New Zealand time and priced from $730 NZD per person for a party of seven and $1,210 NZD per person for two, GST included. It visits Church Road, Craggy Range and Smith & Sheth, and is built around a two hour set menu lunch at Craggy Range Winery.
The Signature shows you three great estates. The Reserve gives you time to understand each one. Cellar door tastings become library tastings, and where the cellar door team has time, a tasting becomes a walk through the barrel hall.
The day opens at Church Road in Taradale, a winery with more than 125 years of history, underground cellars and a wine museum, and the home of the TOM wines named for its founder Tom McDonald. It closes at the Smith & Sheth Oenotheque, whose name means wine library, in the courtyard behind Porters Boutique Hotel in Havelock North.
At the centre of the day sits lunch at Craggy Range, taken in the shadow of the Te Mata Peak escarpment in one of the most beautiful winery settings in New Zealand. We set aside two hours for it, and we build the pace of the day to make that unhurried.
The Lieux-Dits flight that closes the day pours five single-vineyard wines from Omahu in the Gimblett Gravels, Fratelli in the Bridge Pa Triangle and Two Terraces at Mangatahi, served with a cheese platter. Lieux-Dits translates as "named places", and tasting the three sub-regions side by side is the clearest lesson in Hawke's Bay terroir we can give you in a day.
Guest price, per person
New Zealand dollars · GST included · minimum 2 guests
Includes the set menu lunch at Craggy Range. Beverages and wine pairing with lunch are not included. We substitute Black Barn Bistro if Craggy Range is unavailable. Infants aged 0 to 4 travel free. Children aged 5 to 12 receive 50 percent off the per-person rate.
The day, hour by hour
- 10:00Pickup from your accommodation
- 10:30Church Road, Taradale, guided tasting
- 12:00Craggy Range, guided tasting
- 13:00Set menu lunch at Craggy Range, two hours
- 15:15Smith & Sheth Lieux-Dits tasting flight with a cheese platter, Oenotheque at the Village Exchange
- 16:30Return to your accommodation
All times are New Zealand time. We adjust the route wherever you want us to. Church Road opens Thursday to Monday and the Oenotheque opens Tuesday to Saturday, so a Thursday, Friday or Saturday runs the itinerary exactly as written. On other days we substitute an estate of the same standard and tell you before the day.
What the day includes
- Guided tastings at Church Road and Craggy Range
- Set menu lunch at Craggy Range Winery, booked on your behalf
- The Smith & Sheth Lieux-Dits flight, five single-vineyard wines, with a cheese platter
- All winery and restaurant bookings arranged for you
- Private vehicle and local host for the full day
- Pickup and return to your accommodation in Napier, Hastings, Havelock North or Cape Kidnappers
Add a premium tasting at Craggy Range or Te Mata Estate for $165 NZD per person, including your host's wait time.
"Your commitment to quality, flexibility, and delivering a seamless experience has not gone unnoticed... a testament to the care and professionalism that you and your team bring to every interaction."
Questions
Reserve questions, answered.
How much does the Great Wine Capital Reserve cost?
From $730 NZD per person for a party of seven, rising to $1,210 NZD per person for two guests. All prices are in New Zealand dollars and include GST, and the set menu lunch at Craggy Range is included.
What time does the Reserve run?
10:00 to 16:30 New Zealand time. The Reserve is the one tour that runs to a set schedule, because the lunch booking and the winery appointments are held for you.
Is lunch included in the Reserve?
Yes. A two hour set menu lunch at Craggy Range Winery is included and booked on your behalf. Beverages and wine pairing with lunch are not included. If Craggy Range is unavailable we substitute Black Barn Bistro.
Which wineries does the Reserve visit?
Church Road in Taradale, Craggy Range beneath Te Mata Peak, and Smith & Sheth for the Lieux-Dits flight in the Oenotheque at the Village Exchange.
What is the difference between the Reserve and the Signature?
The Signature is five hours of tasting with light platters and no seated meal. The Reserve is a full day, 10:00 to 16:30, built around a two hour set menu lunch at Craggy Range, with longer appointments at each estate.
Can you collect us from Cape Kidnappers?
Yes. We collect from and return to accommodation anywhere in Napier, Hastings, Havelock North or Cape Kidnappers at no extra charge.
What is your cancellation policy for tours?
Cancellation is free more than 30 days before the tour date, 50 percent between 30 and 14 days, and 100 percent inside 14 days. Supplier costs already booked on your behalf, such as tastings and meals, cannot be refunded.
Enquire
We would be delighted to host your day.
Tell us your dates, your party size and where you are staying. We reply by email, usually within a few hours between 04:00 and 23:00 New Zealand time.