Waiheke Island Wine Tour from Auckland: 3 Vineyards and Beachfront Lunch

This is a five-hour day on Waiheke Island built around wine and one long lunch. A local guide runs the day, so the only job is to turn up, taste and eat. The route covers three vineyards, each picked for its own character and its wines. A sommelier leads the tastings and explains what is in the glass and how the island's microclimate shapes the bottles, which is why Waiheke wines are hard to find elsewhere. Lunch is at a hat-awarded restaurant on the beach, the New Zealand counterpart of a Michelin star. The food is fine dining, the tables sit close to the sand, and a glass of wine comes with the meal.