Craggy Range — Restaurant in North Island

We came to Craggy Range because it was recommended by a couple of friends, and it happened to be en route from the famous Hawkes Bay Farmers Market to our waterfall hike, and we’re so glad we did! Due to the whims of weather, we unexpectedly arrived in Hawkes Bay so didn’t make the recommended/required booking for a cellar door experience. We were able to have a mini-tasting, and were very impressed. We wanted to enjoy the winery a bit more, so took the self-guided walk around the vineyard, to the sculpture garden, and the restaurant garden. And then we booked a table for dinner.

The meal was fantastic — one of the top three meals we’ve had in the last year! We opted for the vegetarian sharing menu along with a glass each of one of their premium wines. My wife had the Sophia Bordeuax Blend and I had the Aroha Pinot Noir. Both beautiful wines, with depth and subtlety of flavor!

We were lucky enough to secure the Chef Table, which we enjoyed immensely. The chefs were engaging and answered our questions with joy. The chef de cuisine, Hari, was unlike the TV shows where there’s screaming and tantrums; he operated his kitchen like a Zen Master! The team of a dozen or so chefs, stewards, and dishwashers kept everything running like clockwork.

To top off the kitchen experience, the food was delicious! Highlights were the bread, halloumi, shiitake mushrooms, autumn vegetables and garden greens, falafel, and cheese soufflé (add on). The only miss was the cheesecake, which was delicious but too sweet.

Our waiter, Blair, was the perfect waiter. Attentive but not fawning, and very knowledgeable about the menu and wines on offer.

Special kudos to Damian at the Cellar Door and Amanda at the Restaurant. If either of these people didn’t have a service heart and go beyond the call of duty, we would not have enjoyed these memorable experiences and wouldn’t have become fans of Craggy Range’s...

It has been over 2 years since our stay at Craggy Range and hubby and I are still raving about it to friends and families!

We stayed in one of their 2 bedroom River Lodges - absolutely beautiful! One of the bedrooms (and its bathtub in the ensuite) had a view of Te Mata peak, the other of the river. Both bedrooms had ensuites, large walk in wardrobes, tvs and super comfortable beds with a range of pillows to choose from. The Lodge is complete with a full kitchen, washing machine and dryer. The lodge had both an outdoor and indoor fireplace, which was perfect for enjoying a bottle (or more) of one of their wines with.

All staff were lovely and accommodating, making the experience even better! The stay included a tour of the vineyard and wine tasting which included some of their premium wines, which made us fall in love with their wines even more! The best part of the wine tasting experience was Peter, who took the time to tell us about each wine we were sampling - such as where and how the grapes were grown and blended, and the weather conditions each vintage underwent and how this affected the grapes. It really took wine tasting to a whole new level and has led to both hubby and I having a new appreciation for their wines and enjoying it even more. A tour of their cellar was also included and complemented our wine tasting experience.

The restaurant. Highly recommend! Food was amazing and we were very well looked after by our servers. We had the rib eye to share which was cooked perfectly and highly recommend.

Overall one of our best...

We were lucky enough to be able to snag a wine tasting experience without a booking, but book ahead to make sure you don't miss out. The staff were lovely and our wine connoisseur told us about each of the wines we were tasting, the regions and soil profile for each of the wines and how their wines might differ from others from the same region.

The wine tasting came in two different classes, with the base 'family' wines costing $35pp, and the prestige tasting $65pp. The prestige tasting includes more wines and also includes side by side tasting of different wines of the same variety or vintage - a real treat for anyone who enjoys wine. Whilst it was a little steep price wise to what we are used to, the whole tasting experience was unique and ultimately we were very happy to pay what we did.

The wines themselves were delicious and are to be enjoyed for what they are - don't compare them to what you might be used to from Australia/Europe etc. The Chardonnay was a treat and a real eye opener having never had a drinkable, let alone enjoyable, Chardonnay back home. The Sophia blend was also a real stand out.

Food platters were available and ours was delicious, showcasing beautiful local and seasonal produce. The caramelised walnuts were a hit.

The grounds and views from the cellar door were also amazing.

This winery is a must visit if you are in the Napier/Hawkes Bay region of NZ. Book ahead of time, and allow a good 2 hours at least to make the most of the whole experience if going for the...