The Landing

In the picturesque but windswept coastal far north of New Zealand, this small winery is breathing new life into the region where the nation's first vines were planted

- STORY & SELECTION EMMA JENKINS MW

You've just got to care,' says vineyard manager Tereza Byrne, adding with a laugh, 'I know all the vines individually.' This meticulousness is a large part of why The Landing's wines are turning heads.

When US-based Kiwi Peter Cooper bought a spectacular 400ha coastal farm on Northland’s Purerua peninsula in the north of New Zealand’s North Island in 1999, the plan was simply to create house sites for family and friends. Twenty-six years later, The Landing has become something far more, with its 13ha vineyard and winery shifting the quality paradigm of Northland wine, underpinned by a deep commitment to land, history and sustainability.

The site itself is extraordinary. Overlooking the Bay of Islands, it includes six private beaches, sweeping hill country and layers of human history, including pā sites (historical Māori fortified settlements) and former Māori gardens. And nearby Rangihoua Bay is where English-born missionary Samuel Marsden first came ashore in 1814 (the source of the winery’s name), marking some of the earliest encounters between local Māori and European settlers.

Luxurious hideaway