Wine has a unique social element to it; it’s designed to be shared. Whether the person you gift it to pops the cork then and there, saves it for another special occasion or brings it out for date night, you’re enabling them to share your gift with the ones they love (or ones they’d like to impress).
Here are our winemakers’ picks when sharing with your boss, mother-in-law and neighbours.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| “A sophisticated and powerful wine; one to impress the wine connoisseur,” – Paul Dawick, Chief Winemaker “Nothing better than the best when looking for that next promotion!” – Cam Duke, Winemaker, Katikati SHOP › Mills Reef Elspeth One Gimblett Gravels 2020 |
“Elegant, fruity, touch of sweetness.” – Paul Dawick, Chief Winemaker SHOP › Mills Reef Reserve Hawke’s Bay Gewürztraminer 2021 |
“All mother-in-laws love Chardonnay, don’t they?” – Cam Duke, Winemaker, Katikati SHOP › Leveret Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2018 |
“The perfect celebration wine for Christmas, and a great wine to sip on during a social setting with an antipasto plate.” – Paul Dawick, Chief Winemaker SHOP › Mills Reef Elspeth Methode Traditionnelle NV |
“Share one of New Zealand’s finest Sauvignon Blancs over the fence this festive.” – Cam Duke, Winemaker, Katikati SHOP › Leveret Estate Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2021 |
Knowing what someone likes to drink and eat shows a level of knowledge and understanding of that person, and they’ll be touched that you noticed. You could even consider tying the person’s heritage to it or choosing a vintage that celebrates an important date in their life.
Use our filters to search by varietal.
During the festive season, we’re often invited to events and celebrations where we don’t know the host well enough to pick out a gift, but a bottle of wine is almost always welcome. Our suggestion, if you don’t know their preference is to opt for something sparkling, it’s synonymous with celebrations, it’s the most food-flexible wine choice and it holds a certain elegance and cache that’s hard to beat.
You can choose a wine that suits the occasion, whether that’s bubbles for brunch, a rich red served at a dinner party, or perhaps it’s a crisp, fruity white that gets the party going. Read our Wines for Festive Parties blog for more suggestions.
There’s no pressure for the recipient to open it there and then, and if you know that the bottle you’ve chosen will age well then you could even encourage them to stash it away for a treat in the years to come. All our reserve wines are made for seven years of cellaring, whereas the Elspeth range can hold 10+.
Shop All Wines. | Shop the Limited Editon Mills Reef Elspeth One Gimblett Gravels 2020.
You can order online, email us at cellardoor@wineportfolio.co.nz, click & collect, or book a tasting right up until December 25.
Take a look at our curated, Christmas Wine Boxes which were handpicked by our winemakers, and get your hands on a bottle of the limited edition Elspeth 2020: Shop our Christmas specials
We are an independent, family-owned company that has full control over our entire winemaking process, enabling us to bring you some of the finest, award-winning wines in New Zealand. We’d be proud to be presented at your Christmas celebrations, and wish you and yours all the best this festive season.
Hours of operations:
The Christmas tree is up in our Cellar Door in Katikati! We are open 9:30 AM to 5 PM, seven days a week (closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day). No need to book ahead when stopping in to purchase wine. See directions and contact info.
Book a tasting:
Join us for a wine tasting and we’ll help you select the wines to match your Christmas celebrations and gift-giving.
Due to COVID restrictions, we can accommodate groups of up to a maximum of 10 people. Please contact us to make your tasting room booking.
Delivery:
For delivery, if you’re in the local area (Waihi to Te Puke) we aim to have your order to you by the end of the next business day and orders over $200 qualify for free delivery. For more rural locations and places outside of the local area, call us (+64) 7 552 0795 and we can speak to you about delivery options and times.
From our sunny vineyards and cellar door to your Christmas table, let us know how we can help you have a wonderful festive season.
– The Team at Leveret & Mills Reef Winery
