January 13, 2013
The drive from the car ferry landing to Russell takes about 10 minutes, and on the way is Omata Winery. We were heading to Russell for fish and chips, but I thought it might be nice to do a quick wine tasting on the way to town. I wasn’t expecting much from this small “island” winery and mostly wanted to get it done and off the to-do list.
We drove down a long unpaved road to arrive at the winery, and we were both surprised to see just how nice this place is! The tasting room and surroundings are stunning, all antique brick, wood and wood beams, with glass doors that open to a warm sunny day and an incredible view of the vineyards and the Bay of Islands beyond.
We were invited to sit at a table to do the wine tasting, and if we liked we could order the food tasting platter for two which includes fresh local products: cheeses and crackers, sundried tomatoes, different types of smoked fish, olives, toasted bread and spreads, and other goodies. Forget fish and chips, we’re staying here!
We began with the wine tastings and tasted at least 11 wines, sometimes the same varietal from different years so we could compare them. After we finished the wine tasting, we each ordered a glass of our favorite wine to have with our food platter, which came out next. We both had the same favorites: one of the chardonnays and the Premium Syrah.
Sitting here in this breathtaking setting on a warm, sunny afternoon, enjoying some terrific food goodies and drinking wine, was one of the many highlights of our time here. I think this might be our favorite winery (so far) in New Zealand. –Cyndi
