Outstanding houses in North Island.
Red wines from North Island's warmest sites carry plush dark fruit and ripe tannins, while cooler pockets draw out mineral precision in whites—a north-south gradient that rewards producers who read their microclimates.
Save these houses, build your route through North Island, and navigate when you're there.
Region DNA
The character of North Island
Based on 326 wines with structural data
Style profile
Broad range with a recognisable character
FEM score distribution
Based on 46 rated wineries in this region
Flavor territory
Most frequent primary flavor groups
Style breakdown
Wine style frequency · Bar length = relative count
Top grape varieties
Varieties ranked by number of wines · Number = wine count
Most representative winery
The estate whose wines are closest to the regional average — the truest expression of North Island
Coopers Creek
VisitNorth Island is a wine region in New Zealand, home to 85 producers tracked on Femente, 5 of them rated 90+ on the critic index. Its vineyards are led by Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay, producing New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and New Zealand Chardonnay wines with notes of Black fruit, Citrus fruit, and Red fruit. It takes in Gisborne, Northland, Waikato, Auckland, and Wairarapa.
North Island — good to know
- What grape varieties are grown in North Island?
- The most planted varieties in North Island are Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc, based on the wines Femente tracks across the region.
- What wines is North Island known for?
- North Island is known for New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand Chardonnay, and New Zealand Bordeaux Blend wines and flavors of Black fruit, Citrus fruit, and Red fruit.
- How many wineries are in North Island?
- Femente tracks 85 producers in North Island, of which 5 are rated 90+ on the critic index.
- Where is North Island?
- North Island is a wine region in New Zealand, taking in Gisborne, Northland, Waikato, and Auckland.
North Island
Red wines from North Island's warmest sites carry plush dark fruit and ripe tannins, while cooler pockets draw out mineral precision in whites—a north-south gradient that rewards producers who read their microclimates.
Producers in North Island
- Ōhau — honest
- Pukeora Estate — undiscovered
- Hatton Estate — distinction
- Hawkes Ridge — honest
- Lime Rock — distinction
- Osawa Wines — distinction
- Monowai — distinction
- Rod Easthope — distinction
- Terrace View — honest
- De la Terre — honest
- Mangaorapa — undiscovered
- Castalia (NZ) — undiscovered
- Taumata — undiscovered
- Bostock — honest
- Stonecrop — distinction
- Fenton — undiscovered
- Hawks Nest — undiscovered
- Petane — honest