We teamed up with renowned winemaker Patrick Stowe to help us curate a selection of the very best wines from around the region - from outstanding Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc to aromatics and an impressive selection of emerging varieties.

With between 20-40 varieties on offer throughout the year there’s always a wine available to suit any taste.

“The potential within the Nelson-Tasman region to produce truly excellent wines is what attracted me in the 1990’s, and each year our region’s produce gets better and better”, says Patrick. “While our neighbours in Marlborough have refined the art of large scale, high quality wine production Nelson-Tasman has found its niche as New Zealand’s boutique vineyard region, dedicated to producing unique, interesting and really enjoyable wines.”

Nelson’s award winning Pinot Noir is always expressive and perfumed, with fine, ripe tannins and complex depths. Our Sauvignon is a more elegant, restrained expression of this variety, displaying lovely texture and minerality alongside crisp, vivacious tropical fruit with fresh herbal nuances.

If you’re adventurous enough to look beyond the more recognised varieties you’ll find a selection of low volume and really interesting wines at Waterfront like Viognier and Gewurztraminer to enjoy. Many vineyards in Nelson-Tasman are pioneers of the natural wine movement where the wine is farmed organically and created without adding or removing anything in the cellar.

Waterfront's Head Chef has worked closely with Patrick to ensure that there is always the perfect wine to match your choice from the menu - ensuring you get to enjoy the fresh local produce from around our region with a wine that will complement it.

Moutere Hills

To the East of the Kaiteriteri, the verdant Moutere Hills are slightly warmer and wetter than Waimea and the gravel-threaded clay soils give richness and texture to the wines. It is this location where Nelson’s early pioneers first planted, and it remains the source of some of its finest wines today.

Waimea Plains

Summing up the sub-region beautifully, Waimea is Maori for ‘river garden’. This traditional area for arable crops, orchards and hops has seen most of Nelson’s recent vineyard expansion. With stony alluvial soils and a moderating maritime influence, wines tend to be lighter and fresher in style than Moutere, with bright aromas.