Wine tasting at Elephant Hill, Hawkes Bay

It just happened we were in the Hawkes Bay on Father’s Day following a race meeting in Hastings where a friend’s horse ran. So the following morning with a heavy, overcast sky we headed to one our favourite parts of the bay, Te Awanga coast to take in the ocean and ended up at Elephant Hill. It’s a stunning winery and restaurant, hard to miss with its distinctive green buildings clad in a pre-aged copper compatible with the colours of the ocean and the grape vines.

Having not been here before, we were hugely impressed.

Beautiful entrance and a breathtaking restaurant and cellar door.

They acknowledged the occasion, Father’s Day with a welcoming billboard, but just as well we weren’t looking for lunch as they were fully booked. However, once inside despite it being only late morning we decided to enjoy their wine tasting for $5, discarded with a cellar purchase over $20.

The gentleman at the cellar door talked us though six wines from a Rose to a delicious Syrah, all locally grown grapes with the exception of their Pinot Noir grapes grown in Central Otago.