Ahead of saturday’s NZ vs Aussie match at Eden Park, the wines of the Auckland region

So on Saturday things really get heated with the co-hosts of the 2015 ODI cricket world cup tournament clashing at Eden Park. No extra incentive typically required when it comes to New Zealand vs Australia, but there will be extra angst-driven edge from the home team who have long been in the shadow of their more illustrious canary yellow-suited neighbours…

For those journeying to watch the action at Eden Park, the greater Auckland area boasts a wealth of diverse wine producing areas. For this post we will restrict ourselves mainly to Kumeu to the west, and the Matakana wine region to the north. Waiheke Island merits a post of its own – perhaps later in the tournament…

Kumeu can be reached from downtown Auckland via a short drive along southern highway 16. Once you leave the city and venture into Waitakere you soon find yourself in rural West Auckland. The Kumeu wine region boasts a number of excellent vineyards. Kumeu River is long established – like many of the vineyards in the region it has Croatian heritage and continues to be owned by the Brajkovic family. Kumeu River produces award winning wines, and is particularly noted for the chardonnay and pinot gris. For those visiting Kumeu for the day on a wine tasting trip, the Nobilo and Soljans vineyards possibly offer the best tasting experiences, with a range of good wines on offer at both.

Matakana is less than an hour north of Auckland City and is arguably worth it just for the scenic drive. Matakana Wine Country actually sprawls beyond Warkworth in the south, through Makana itself, and up towards Omaha to the north. Each of these places is worth a visit in their own right – the fact that they boast some excellent vineyards is a distinct bonus. One of my favourite vineyards in the region is one of the first that you will reach; Ransom Wines boast a fantastic range and is a great place to visit for a tasting, typically hosted by one of the owners (the story of how they discovered the identify of their carmenere vines is fascinating). I would also strongly advise you to stay for a platter in the restaurant, which are excellent. There are a number of other vineyard cafes and restaurants that merit a visit for both the food and wine. Ascension has fallen on harder times lately but they have had something of a revival, mostly focussing on hosting weddings and functions, albeit the wines on offer have always been excellent. An Ascension wine made the cut for our wedding wine list, for instance.

There promises to be fireworks on the pitch on Saturday; and those in the know can wind down with some local wine via a short trip west or north after the contest is over…