New Zealand Food and Wine.
Three wine regions in eight nights — Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough and Central Otago — linked by domestic flights rather than long drives, with cellar doors, producers and the Marlborough Sounds.
What is the New Zealand Food and Wine itinerary?
Eight nights across three wine regions: Hawke’s Bay for Bordeaux-style reds and Syrah, Marlborough for Sauvignon Blanc and Sounds seafood, and Central Otago for Pinot Noir, linked by domestic flights. Quoted at net rates.
Last updated: 5 October 2026
Why it runs in this order.
North to south, from reds to Sauvignon Blanc to Pinot Noir, with each region a base of two or three nights and domestic flights in between. Nobody drives after a tasting — every winery day has a driver.
Who it suits: Wine-literate couples and small private groups, trade and wine-club groups, and food-led clients who would rather meet producers than tick off landmarks.
Destination guides on this route: Napier, Hastings & Havelock North, Marlborough Wine Country, Marlborough Sounds & Picton, Queenstown.
Services this programme draws on: Food, wine & farm experiences, Guides & driver-guides, Hotels, lodges & accommodation.
The programme.
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Days 1–2Hawke’s Bay
Arrive Napier on a domestic connection. Art Deco Napier, Te Mata Peak and the Gimblett Gravels winegrowing district, with a long lunch at a vineyard restaurant.
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Days 3–5Marlborough
Fly to Blenheim, usually via Wellington. Sauvignon Blanc cellar doors around Renwick and the Wairau Valley, and a day on the Marlborough Sounds with Greenshell mussels from the local farms.
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Days 6–8Central Otago
Fly to Queenstown via a domestic hub. Pinot Noir in the Gibbston Valley, Bannockburn and around Cromwell and Lake Dunstan, with Arrowtown for an evening.
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Day 9Queenstown
Out from Queenstown via Auckland or Christchurch, or direct to Australia.
Drive and ferry times are approximate and depend on stops, weather and road conditions.
What the net rate covers.
- Eight nights in vineyard lodges and boutique hotels
- Private driver-guide on every winery day
- Cellar-door visits and producer meetings arranged in advance
- A Marlborough Sounds seafood cruise
- Restaurant reservations for the key lunches and dinners
- 24/7 duty desk
What it does not.
- International air and the domestic flights, quoted on request
- Wine purchases and shipping
- Meals beyond breakfasts and the named lunches and dinners
- Travel insurance
When to ask.
Six months normally. The March–April harvest season and summer weekends need longer, as small cellar doors limit group sizes.
Send the brief — party size, dates, hotel category and what the client cares about — to b2b@explera.co.nz and we will quote this programme, or the version you want, at net rates.
New Zealand Food and Wine — what agents ask.
How long is the New Zealand Food and Wine itinerary?
8 nights. North to south, from reds to Sauvignon Blanc to Pinot Noir, with each region a base of two or three nights and domestic flights in between. Nobody drives after a tasting — every winery day has a driver.
How far ahead does it need booking?
Six months normally. The March–April harvest season and summer weekends need longer, as small cellar doors limit group sizes.
How is this programme priced?
A confidential net rate to the travel agent, which you mark up yourself. Explera DMC New Zealand does not publish prices and does not sell to your client — the programme runs white-label under your brand.
Other programmes.
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South Island Campervan Loop
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North Island Culture and Geothermal
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Queenstown and Fiordland Lodges
Lake Wakatipu, Glenorchy, a night in Fiordland and Central Otago wine, from luxury lodge bases with a private driver — short transfers, no long drive days.
Queenstown Incentive Programme
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Auckland and Hauraki Gulf Incentive
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The Milford Track on a guided walk with lodge nights, preceded by Aoraki / Mount Cook and Queenstown — the Great Walk most clients ask for by name, with the warm-up and the recovery built in.
North Island Family Programme
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Explera DMC New Zealand is the B2B New Zealand DMC for New Zealand Food and Wine. We contract the accommodation, transfers, licensed guides and experiences at net rates, so you sell New Zealand Food and Wine with one accountable ground partner and your own branding. Send the brief to our New Zealand DMC desk for a net service quotation.
Start quoting New Zealand at net rates this week.
Register on the Explera trade platform for net rates, white-label documents and one accountable desk from first quote to final transfer. Registration is free and approval is fast.