Setting
The tasting room sits at the foot of the steep Teviotdale Hills, which, in addition to boasting vineyards, is studded with the craggy, fossil-packed outcrops that define the Omihi slopes. Located on the western side of the Waipara Valley, these slopes are affectionately known as “the golden mile”.

Things to know
The Thomas family established Greystone in 2004 and eight years later they purchased the neighbouring vineyards and winery belonging to Muddy Water Estate, a producer with a long pedigree of producing high-end organic, wild-yeast fermented wines. Pinot noir makes up over 60 per cent of the plantings but award-winning winemaker Dom Maxwell also crafts riesling, pinot gris, gewurztraminer, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and syrah. The man responsible for keeping those vines is Nick Gill.

Our picks
The pinot noir is a musttaste. The gewurztraminer is lycheeladen loveliness and the Basket Star Riesling is a decadent dessert wine.

Plus
Sample superb local olive oils at the cellar door. And for the most jaw-dropping panorama of the Waipara Valley, ask if you can zoom up to the top of the vineyard behind the cellar door.