Waiheke Custom Wine Tours
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Waiheke Custom Wine Tours

Waiheke Custom Wine Tours
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About
We offer private, customised wine tours of Waiheke Island, plus sightseeing and other activities along the way. Several tour options are available which include premium wine tasting at between 2 and 5 vineyard cellar doors of the customer's choice. Lunch can also be added at your cost. Geoff, who is the owner/tour guide, has been living on Waiheke Island for 20 years and has over 30 years of experience following the development of wine in New Zealand. If you need guidance he will also be able to help you plan your wine tasting trip to other parts of New Zealand.
Waiheke Island, New Zealand

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Tours and Tickets by Waiheke Custom Wine Tours

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles44 reviews
Excellent
44
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0
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rdubbs08
Edmond, OK8,187 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Having contacted Geoff a few months in advance of our trip, he was timely and detailed in reply. He confirmed he was able to accommodate our two small children (3 years old & 8 months old) on the private 3 cellar door tour - this combined with the fact that he was a personalized & private one person company sealed the deal for us. Payment was settled via PayPal a week or two prior to the tour and we were set!

Booking and taking the ferry from Auckland to Waiheke (40 min ferry ride) was on us. Upon arrival in Waiheke, Geoff was standing at the Ferry terminal with our name on a sign, very easy to find! Waiting for us was a very clean and very nice Mercedes van, the perfect vehicle to spend the day checking out the island in. As confirmed, Geoff had car seats for both boys.

Prior to starting off on the day, Geoff had printed itineraries for each of us and spent time reviewing with us to ensure we did not have any requested changes. From there we were off - the first hour was spent on a bit of sightseeing. Geoff showed us several of the beaches and provided very interesting insight/history into Waiheke Island.

After the overview of Waiheke we headed to Honey House Cafe, a quaint & relatively new place where honey & olive oils are available for tasting. This was free and fun!

From there we hit our first vineyard, Te Motu. It is the third oldest wine producer on the island and did not disappoint!

Second was Awaroa, a small organic vineyard with a fun tasting and good wine.

Lunch was next, at the Passage Rock Restaurant. We had an excellent pizza and small plate, along with a surprise tasting! The perfect stop.

Our last vineyard visit on the 3 cellar door tour was Obsidian, a boutique vineyard with great wine and a fun team.

Overall, we could not have had a better day - it was FANTASTIC. We were very pleased with Geoff, his van and the itinerary he built for us. If you are looking for a bespoke, private tour for your time on Waiheke, you CANNOT go wrong engaging Waiheke Custom Wine Tours. Geoff will take very good care of you & your group!!!
Written February 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for the great review. I really enjoyed having you and the family on the tour with me. All the very best on your next adventure!
Written February 21, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Cdn1_Traveller
Toronto, Canada141 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
We were in Auckland before joining a cruise of New Zealand and Australia and were delighted when a local friend invited us to join this one day tour of 3 wineries and a wonderful restaurant on Waiheke Island. Our friend had engaged Geoff to meet us at the ferry and take us around the island. Geoff had a written itinerary when we arrived and went through it with us to make sure it worked for us. We all boarded the Mercedes mini van and off we went in ultimate comfort! Our first stop was the Mudbrick Winery which treated us not only to some great windless but to awesome views back to Auckland and the surrounding islands. It was truly breathtaking. From there we drove through the town and adjacent beach which gave a good insight into daily life on the island. The beaches are beautiful expanses if sandy shores and are not very crowded. Our next stop was Onsidian Winery which was a charming winery with some great wines (probably our favourites from the day). The staff were not 8nly knowledgeable but also very welcoming and friendly. It was nice to sit and have a chat along with some wine and cheese as we sipped our wine tastings. We purchased wine here as we can’t get them shipped home (Canada) but there is shipping to many other places. From here we saw some more sights and the went to Tantalus Restaurant for am amazing lunch! We sat outdoors on the covered patio and enjoyed fantastic food and wine. The restaurant was warmly decorated and clearly there was a lot of attention to detail. Service was outstanding. A thoroughly enjoyable lunch. Geoff then took us to a small family run sustainable winery called Awaroa. Was a nice change from the other spots and we appreciated the work the family was putting into establishing their business. We ran out of time for a visit to Rangihoua Olive Estate but we will have to visit when we next go. Geoff was extremely knowledgeable and provided insights into the island, wines, New Zealand and anything else we tapped into for conversation! The day was extremely well put together and Geoff made it the huge success it was. We enjoyed our time and feel like we have a new friend in Waiheke. This day was a highlight of our one month vacation - we highly recommend Geoff and a day at Waiheke (more time if you can spare it)! Thank you, Geoff. You got our vacation off to a great start!
Written March 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to write such a nice review, especially after the time you would have spent on your cruise. I do remember the tour and really appreciated the invitation to join you for lunch which thoroughly enjoyed. All the best for your next adventure.
Written March 5, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Aet144
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Friends
Geoff gave us a truly outstanding, private, afternoon wine tour. We had the opportunity in advance to customize our selection of vineyards in consultation with Geoff. He also recommended several excellent restaurants and made a reservation on our behalf.

Geoff met us promptly at the ferry terminal and provided us with our personalized itinerary for the afternoon. We were surprised and delighted that Geoff started the afternoon with both a tour of the island and a visit to an olive grove to sample their products.

We thoroughly enjoyed the three vineyards we had chosen; each offered a unique and personalized experience particularly as Geoff had pre-arranged our visits to each vineyard.

If time is available, we recommend staying on the island for lunch/dinner to round out the experience.

We truly enjoyed Geoff’s company. He has an excellent knowledge of wines, both local and from around the world. He also provided us with insight into life on Waiheke and more broadly, in New Zealand. Geoff made this a fabulous afternoon for us and one that we would highly recommend to others.
Written February 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Arlene, thank you for the lovely review - it's most appreciated.
Written February 8, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

MsSommelier
Germany173 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
We had a cruise ship stop at Waiheke and I wanted a private tour to get the most out of tasting opportunities during our time there. I evaluated several options and chose Geoff - and am really glad I did.

We did 4 cellar doors and lunch at The Shed (we had asked for a quicker, more casual lunch so we could fit in another tasting). Geoff was very communicative and responsive during the process of deciding which wineries we would visit, emailing detailed information and suggestions, based on my feedback.

The day of our visit, he was very prompt, meeting us at the tender dock right on time and away we went. We got a very nice island tour as a bonus :-) Geoff is a very knowledgeable guy and does lots of tasting, including judging, so he can really guide you to find the wines and wineries you would like. He also has a lot of connections with the wine community after so many years on Waiheke, so he can leverage that to get appointments.

Waiheke Island is a beautiful place with lots of choices for wine tasting and lunch. Let Geoff guide you and enjoy. Just sorry we couldn't spend more time there!
Written February 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks Debra for the lovely review. It was a real pleasure to meet you both and I learned a lot from you about some of the wonderful wines that you have tasted as well. I just need to correct something you wrote in case other people get the wrong idea. I attended a Wine Judge Assessment many years ago but did not actually get selected to be a Wine Judge. As it turned out I am quite happy about that - it's much more fun just tasting and enjoying wine instead!
Written February 16, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Winecruiser
Grand Prairie41 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
I chose Waiheke Custom Wine Tours to visit wineries on the island. I prefer the private tour for a more intimate tasting without the busses of people tasting the table wines in a hurried atmosphere. With this tour you can choose your own selections of wineries as well. We did the 4 winery option for a full day of touring. Our host and owner, Geoff, picked us up at the ferry terminal on Waiheke in a very nice Mercedes luxury van. Geoff is very professional, friendly, and courteous. He took us to the wineries of my choice and at each we had private tastings in a relaxed atmosphere. Geoff resides on the beautiful island and knows it well. He assisted us with our purchases and gave us a little tour of the island. We had a lovely lunch at one of the wineries while on the island. Geoff gave us the ideas for lunch and it was memorable! I have visited many wineries around the world and have toured on my own and on private touts as well, so I am quite experienced in visiting wineries. Geoff's custom wine tour was a winner! We hope to return to the area and tour with Geoff again!
Written January 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks Michael. I enjoyed having both you and Linda on the tour with me, and especially our wine discussions. All the best and hope to see you again.
Written January 14, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

CherryF359
Brisbane, Australia34 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
We had a wonderful day with Geoff on Waiheke doing an olive oil tasting and 3 wine tastings followed by an excellent lunch at Tantalus. Geoff could not have been more accommodating or knowledgeable about the island. For various reasons we had to get the 830am ferry from Auckland, Geoff met us on arrival with all our international luggage, then took us to a lovely water view cafe for coffee before starting the tour. After lunch Geoff even stopped at the supermarket so I could get some basic self catering provisions before finally delivering us to our accommodation with all our luggage! Instead of a totally wasted travelling day we had an excellent Waiheke wine tasting experience day. Thanks Geoff!
Written February 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Clare it was great to spend the day with you and Ian and I am pleased that you had a great time. Geoff
Written February 9, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

professional2ourist
New Zealand102 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Friends
I am an Auckland local and took four Canadians on a wine tour with Geoff Rau. Geoff was everything a great tour guide should be. Witty, full of local information and very knowledgeable on the wines and food of the Island.
We did three wineries and had lunch at Tantalus.

The wine tastings were excellent and after the first two were in a great mood to indulge in a fabulous lunch with of course the great Tantalus wine. The third tasting was out in the countryside which was quite lovely although very dry with our drought

Geoff also gave us a great sightseeing tour of the island in his very nice Mercedes vehicle.

I will not go into the wines as the vineyards can change depending on the best wines at the time and how busy the day is, suffice to say we tasted some beauties. Try and avoid when more than one cruise ship is in. But of course if it is the only day you have, go for it but start early and of course book Geoff as soon as you know your schedule.

I will certainly be booking a Geoff every time I have overseas guests. He is an absolute gem.
Written January 31, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bev thank you for your lovely review. I really enjoyed having you and your guests from Canada on my tour and look forward to any opportunities to look after you again at some stage in the future. All the very best. Geoff
Written February 4, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jeanne T
Hawaii225 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019 • Couples
I contacted Geoff many months ago and he was always prompt and full of information. We did the 3 wine cellar door tours. It was a great personal tour and he was very personable and we all enjoyed it. Our favorite winery was Kennedy Point, all their wine was wonderful. A must do is their Sauvignon Blanc oyster shooter!
Written December 27, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks Jeanne. I really enjoyed meeting you all and I am pleased you enjoyed your tour. Geoff
Written January 7, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Julie E
Australia47 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019 • Friends
We had an amazing day with Geoff doing. Wine tour of Waiheke Island . Geoff’s van was a very high quality ( new Mercedes ) along with his knowledge of the island . We enjoyed not only the wine and food but also his expert knowledge , we visited sone of the smaller boutique wineries as well as the large . Fabulous day will definitely use Geoff again on the next trip to Waiheke
Written December 14, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kayla G
Jakarta, Indonesia77 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2018 • Couples
This tour was exceptional in many ways. Right from booking, Geoff reached out and helped us plan the day. He sent useful information on tour spots, but also about other excursions and travel related questions. On the day of the tour he was prompt and very easy going. He planned the day perfectly and he made the driving very interesting with many stories about the island and it's rich history. We stopped at Man O' War (must see views and the trip there is beautiful), Kennedy Point (fantastic boutique winery with a wonderful story and host), Tantalus (for the best food we may have ever eaten), Stonyridge (Fanastic wine), and Te Motu (more fantastic wine!). There were many other choices, so I think we will be coming back and definitely will book with Geoff. What a perfect day! Thank you Geoff for everything.
Written September 18, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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