Best Wines Shop in NZ - OUTSIDE of Auckland

SueNZ · Post by **SueNZ** » Thu May 28, 2009 2:24 pm

I'm pretty much up to play with the wine shops in Auckland but does anyone have any opinion on what are the best wine shops in NZ outside of the Auckland area?

If you suggest a wine shop, do say what, in your opinion, makes it stand out from others in the area.

Thanks,
Sue

Gary W · Post by **Gary W** » Thu May 28, 2009 2:32 pm

Foodtown at Matamata takes some beating

GW

Craig(NZ) · Post by **Craig(NZ)** » Thu May 28, 2009 2:47 pm

Gary

You have no idea. Foodtown Nawton in Hamilton has the best range of cask wine I have ever seen.

Cummon sue, you dont think we should publish all our secret discoveries for the whole world to see do you??

Red Bigot · Post by **Red Bigot** » Thu May 28, 2009 3:33 pm

Scenic Cellars in Taupo - big range, wines on tasting.
Advintage Havelock North - pretty good selection when I dropped in, they were quitting some Ayala Champagne, the vintage version was going for $49.99NZD and drank nicely the next night.
The pub in Turangi had a reasonable selection too for a pretty small place.

SueNZ · Post by **SueNZ** » Thu May 28, 2009 4:24 pm

Craig(NZ) wrote:Cummon sue, you dont think we should publish all our secret discoveries for the whole world to see do you??

OK - I know who you mean. But seriously Craig - if you were in Tauranga, Hawkes Bay, Wellington, ChCh, Queenstown or Hokitika, wouldn't you want to know the best place to buy wine.

SueNZ · Post by **SueNZ** » Thu May 28, 2009 4:25 pm

Gary W wrote:Foodtown at Matamata takes some beating
GW

Some of the big supermarkets do have some super upmarket selections.

SueNZ · Post by **SueNZ** » Thu May 28, 2009 4:29 pm

Red Bigot wrote:Scenic Cellars in Taupo - big range, wines on tasting.
Advintage Havelock North - pretty good selection when I dropped in, they were quitting some Ayala Champagne, the vintage version was going for $49.99NZD and drank nicely the next night.
The pub in Turangi had a reasonable selection too for a pretty small place.

I think wines on tasting is a good idea. Was Scenic Cellars a free tasting or a pay to taste from a machine? I also like their mobile marketing - followed their van through Taupo a few weeks ago (didn't have time to stop at the wine shop) and they had upcoming tastings and specials written all over the side and back windows. Good call.

Heard good things about Advintage too - thanks RB.

Craig(NZ) · Post by **Craig(NZ)** » Thu May 28, 2009 7:56 pm

I think wines on tasting is a good idea. Was Scenic Cellars a free tasting or a pay to taste from a machine? I also like their mobile marketing - followed their van through Taupo a few weeks ago (didn't have time to stop at the wine shop) and they had upcoming tastings and specials written all over the side and back windows. Good call.

Sue. You pay. There are some good wines usually. Ive seen Yquem, SRL, Grange, Classified bdx etc. However to be blunt, after having many tastings from machines I don't think they keep the wine 100% pristine. There is a limit to the shelf life on these machines and I think often those limits are exceeded by retailers.

Have tried Peg Bay Prima Donna Pinot off a machine - oxidised to the point of almost being wine vinegar. Needless to say a refund was extracted from them! Also a number of tastings of wines that have not been convincing only to have my mind changed when trying again from a bottle at a later date.

But seriously Craig - if you were in Tauranga, Hawkes Bay, Wellington, ChCh, Queenstown or Hokitika, wouldn't you want to know the best place to buy wine.

I already do :lol:

except for Hokitika - ive never been there. However down that way i expect its mainstream beer in flaggons or go without. :lol:

Ian S · Post by **Ian S** » Thu May 28, 2009 9:15 pm

NZ regional wines & spirits (near the cricket ground in Wellington). Seemed to have an interesting selection when I ordered a mixed case for the outlaws 2-3 years ago.

Gary W · Post by **Gary W** » Thu May 28, 2009 9:26 pm

Thingo's at Dunedin is pretty good. Forget the name. Bloke with a limp in the shop. Mehans or something like that.
GW

SueNZ · Post by **SueNZ** » Fri May 29, 2009 5:28 am

Gary W wrote:Thingo's at Dunedin is pretty good. Forget the name. Bloke with a limp in the shop. Mehans or something like that.
GW

Munslows? Is this still the best in Dunedin?

Bick · Post by **Bick** » Fri May 29, 2009 7:55 am

SueNZ wrote:Some of the big supermarkets do have some super upmarket selections.

And while small family owned stores don't misprice, supermarkets do it quite often. e.g. I picked up Te Mata Elston for $17 in a Foodtown - it had been reduced as though it was Woodthorpe Chard on special, as the buffoons in the supermarket didn't know better. That's only one example...

Outside of supermarkets, I find many are overpriced, but would concur with Ian about Regional Wines by the Basin reserve in welly and scenic cellars in Toe-paw.

Gary W · Post by **Gary W** » Fri May 29, 2009 7:57 am

SueNZ wrote:
Gary W wrote:Thingo's at Dunedin is pretty good. Forget the name. Bloke with a limp in the shop. Mehans or something like that.
GW

Munslows? Is this still the best in Dunedin?

Meenans or something like that.
GW

Nayan · Post by **Nayan** » Fri May 29, 2009 8:12 am

There's a Meenan and a Munslow, isn't there?

SueNZ · Post by **SueNZ** » Fri May 29, 2009 8:30 am

Nayan wrote:There's a Meenan and a Munslow, isn't there?

OK = thanks for clarifying that. Yep it seems to be true.
Why is Meenans good? Thks, Sue

Wycroft · Post by **Wycroft** » Fri May 29, 2009 9:20 am

Regional Wines & Spirits in Wellington are very good, their website is regionalwines.co.nz and under the reviews icon you can get a number of Geoff Kelly's excellent notes on obscure and old wines, as well as new releases, some of which aren't on geoffkellywinereviews.co.nz

The other star in Wellington without question is Rumbles in Waring Taylor St. It's down a flight of stairs below ground and has a superb range from all over the globe. Part of the joy is taking pot luck on whether its irrascible owner Peter Rumble, who looks like the fourth member of ZZ Top, will be in a good or a bad mood. Both are worth experiencing. He's a remarkable old coot Peter. I swear he looked older in 1984 when my father started taking me in there as a 10 year old than he does today. He's real life Benjamin Button. Sadly he's not online, but his shop is without question the most interesting in Wellington. Lots of things for Francophiles, lots of vintage Port, lots of Italian, and oddities from all over the place.

SueNZ · Post by **SueNZ** » Sat May 30, 2009 6:39 am

Wycroft wrote:Regional Wines & Spirits in Wellington are very good, their website ........
The other star in Wellington without question is Rumbles in Waring Taylor St.

Thanks Nick - your instore experience at Rumbles is exactly what I want to hear. I remember going into Rumbles a few years ago, when I passed thru Wellington, as I had heard so much about the shop and Rumble himself was in good form the day I went.
I was on foot, but from memory parking is not that great, though.

Shops with friendly and knowledgeable staff that can leave you alone to browse, if you wish, plus an excellent selection of wines at not 'over-inflated' prices and samples to taste would be high on a list.

I am familar with Regional's website, but what is Regional like for an instore experience?

kevin c · Post by **kevin c** » Sat May 30, 2009 12:01 pm

Hi Sue
There are a few stand out wineshops outside of Auckland: notably Scenic Cellars which has a great range of NZ and International wines, including some older vintages, and very knowledgeable service; Rumbles which has a great European selection, a range of quality NZ wines and great service; and Munslows, which also has a top range of quality NZ and international wines and great service.

Meenans in Dunedin has a wide selection of NZ wines and sometimes lesser known overseas wines usually at good prices. Wanaka Fine Wines has an extensive range and good service. A relative newcomer is Decant in ChCh which has an impressive range of very fine European wine and informative service.

The reason why all of these shops stand out is that they generally stock only good wines, at all price points, and offer informed service so the customer is unlikely to leave with a dud. In most cases the pricing is quite reasonable these days as well.

It is important that people support shops like these in the current enviroment.

bacchaebabe · Post by **bacchaebabe** » Sat May 30, 2009 3:32 pm

Craig(NZ) wrote:
But seriously Craig - if you were in Tauranga, Hawkes Bay, Wellington, ChCh, Queenstown or Hokitika, wouldn't you want to know the best place to buy wine.

I already do except for Hokitika - ive never been there. However down that way i expect its mainstream beer in flaggons or go without.

Well, I've been to Hokitika and all over the South Island. Even though I stumbled across a few good wine shops, I couldn't remember what they were called or where they are. However, what I do clearly remember was the quality and diversity of the beer all over the South Island. It reminded me of Britain a little bit in that the beers seems quite regional and each area or region had their own reasonably large brewery. All the beers had real character and I left thinking NZ beer was far superior to commercial Aussie beer. From memory, Monteiths is the beer from the westcoast and I'd describe it as anything but "mainstream beer in flaggons". They seem to be exporting a bit over this side of the ditch lately and I've been buying it enthusiastically. For a mid sized brewer, it's great stuff.