Many of the bigger wineries still have their head offices in Auckland, but actual wine production in the region has been overtaken by other regions further south.

Still, Auckland has many smaller wineries northwest of the city at Kumeu, an hour’s drive north at Matakana, as well as on Waiheke Island, a 45 minute ferry ride from downtown.

“Business travellers arguably have better opportunities to enjoy high-quality wine tastings during a brief trip to Auckland than when visiting almost any other major city,” says Robert Joseph in the Footprint Wine Travel Guide to the World.