"lleichtman" asked.....
>
> Any wineries worth mentioning in the Auckland area?

In the 1980s and early 90s there were still a handful of wineries in West
Auckland, however, as Marlborough, Hawkes Bay expanded both in terms of
production and importance, there is not much of a presence left close to
Auckland city. EXCEPT as follows:

Waiheke is a one hour ferry ride from downtown Auckland. Take a look at
http://waiheke.aucklandnz.com/

Matakana is a 40 minute drive north of Auckland city.
http://www.matakanawine.com/summary.html

Ascension at Matakana is a great visit for lunch - but most of the others
are very small boutique operations, which personally, leave me a little
underwhelmed :-(

Within the bounds of Auckland city, not far from Auckland's International
Airport, Villa Maria Wines run a very popular Winery, Vineyard Café & Cellar
Door, with their wines from Auckland, Hawkes Bay, Marlborough and Otago
regions all stocked.

If time is of consideration, this is worth a visit, perhaps for lunch.

st.helier