Setting
Spade Oak is a short 10-minute drive from the edge of town and easy to find. The long, tree-lined driveway leads to the small cellar door set up. Visitors tend to choose the outdoor setting for tastings, seated on chairs crafted from old wine barrels. Here you are surrounded by chardonnay and viognier vines with views out to Gisborne’s golden slopes.

Things To Know
Spade Oak owners Steve and Eileen Voysey run the cellar door over summer, offering detailed knowledge of the wines and the philosophy behind them. Steve has grown grapes in Gisborne for nearly 25 years, and for much of that time has worked as the consultant winemaker for Indevin – he was instrumental in the development of the Lindauer brand. The couple started Spade Oak seven years ago to allow Steve follow his personal aspirations as a winemaker. Over the course of a tasting you can expect to try four wines and visitors are welcome to bring a picnic lunch

Our Picks
Steve prides himself in making a good Gisborne chardonnay, so naturally Reserve Chardonnay is a must. The Voyseys also have plantings of emerging varieties such as albariño and St Laurent, which are well worth a try, as is the new petit manseng.