What our clients say

Exceeded our expectations! 🚐 🍷 The Concierge team and I at Horizon by SkyCity had the pleasure of experiencing this wonderful tour, and it truly exceeded our expectations. A special thank you to Nicole, our Senior Concierge, for organising such a fantastic experience, and an enormous shout-out to John, whose passion, knowledge, and personal insights into New Zealand wine made the day truly memorable. The wine tasting at Kureu River Winery, personally hosted by John, was exceptional. He took the time to guide our team through the different grape varieties and taught us how to properly appreciate and experience wine from observing its colour and aroma to understanding how to taste and savour its unique characteristics. His knowledge and enthusiasm brought the whole experience to life, including insights into the winemaking process behind the scenes. John also went above and beyond by personally arranging a special visit to The Hunting Lodge, which kindly opened its doors specifically for us during the winter period. This thoughtful gesture made the experience even more unique, and the entire team genuinely appreciated the effort that went into making our day so special. It was a fantastic experience from start to finish, and we will certainly be recommending NZ WinePro to our guests at Horizon by SkyCity. John went above and beyond, and we couldn't have asked for a better wine experience. Highly recommended!

Little taste of Auckland We had a great day with John, seeing the sights and enjoying some fantastic wine. The whole day was very relaxed and comfortable, and it felt like a good mix of sight-seeing and wine tasting. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a little taste of Auckland.

Rainforest and Wine Tour John is by far the best guide we've ever had. The experience he provided went far beyond wine tasting. Not only did we enjoy exceptional wines, but we also gained valuable insights into New Zealand's culture, history, and geography. John's passion for what he does shines through in every part of the tour, and he thoughtfully adapts the experience to your interests and pace. I highly recommend this tour to anyone-it's engaging, memorable, and suitable for guests of all ages.

A Wonderful Day My family spent the day with John in June. He organized visits to several wineries as well as a nice lunch stop. He offered interesting information about New Zealand, its wine industry/history, and its cultural characteristics. He supplemented the narratives provided at the wineries with his own expertise. We had a fantastic day, never needing to worry about a thing - John had it all covered.

Day tour to the west of Auckland Great day tour with a lots of variety. Picturesque scenery and friendly wineries topped off with a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic tour guide. Highly recommended.

Native forests and Wine tasting John was the perfect operator, initially unobtrusively giving us an outline of our day, then honing in on our questions in detail. His knowledge turned out to be encyclopaedic: statistics flowing constantly, making our trip most worthwhile. Totally rrcommend him for the best experience, both for sightseeing and wine tasting.

Wine in Auckland Knowledgeable guide. The wines were surprisingly good. Scenery was spectacular. Good value for the tour

Vineyards, Honey and Black sand Beach What a great day we had on the North West Coast near Auckland! Our tour guide John was wonderful lively narrator. He knows about the Wine industry! We got a behind the scenes wine tour! We had lovely food, all the cellar door staff were friendly and helpful! The black sand beach was beautiful in a desolate way! Recommend this tour!

Excellent tour! The Vineyards, Honey and Black Sand Beaches tour we did with John was one of the best things we did on our trip to Auckland. The tour length was just right, and all the stops were interesting and enjoyable. Our lunch was lovely, as well. Not only was John very knowledgeable about Auckland and the surrounding areas, he is truly an expert on all things wine. (And an all around interesting person.) I have done many wine tastings and winery tours in the US and internationally, but never one this interesting and informative. In addition to the wineries and our lunch, we also enjoyed the gorgeous Muriwai cliffs and beaches. We were also able to see - and hear - the gannets in their breeding colony on the cliffs. You can’t go wrong with his tour. Thank you John!

Wine Tasting We really enjoyed our wine tasting and trip to see the gannets. John was excellent we learnt a lot. I would definitely recommend this tour

A MUST TRY! This was an absolutely fabulous day from start to finish. Even while raining, this tour was fun & incredibly informative. John has a wealth of knowledge that made the tour super engaging. We weren't just driving around the island, we were learning as much as we wanted along the way as well as at the wineries. we had lovely tasting guides at each location too. The wine selection was nice and they adapted to what we liked and suggested some we didnt even know we liked 😀 we had plenty of time to taste, browse the gift shop, and eat where there food options. I highly recommend booking this tour. Or even the full day tour with lunch - unfortunately we didnt have time for this on this trip. However, we will be back and we will look for John and his tours because it was THAT GOOD. I wish you a great tour!

A must try - experienced, novice to intermediate, or absolute newbie. This half day tour is highly recommended! If we had time, we would have done the full day tour, especially after having such a great time in only 4 hours. From start to finish, the tour was fun and as informative as we wanted. John answered all of our questions and gave us heaps of background knowledge. His story is amazing to hear too. The wineries were a delight, with tasting guides at each one. We had options to shop the gift store, eat snacks or meals if needed. Plus we stopped at a beach and saw all kinds of bird life. Although we didnt need any - John had water bottles on hand for us if we wanted. Even though it was a rainy day, we had a blast regardless. If you choose to tour with John, I think it will be one if the best tour decisions you make 😀

Sightseeing and wine tasting tour Great sightseeing and wine tasting tour! Our guide John looked after us well and was very informative. We learnt a lot about the process of manufacturing wine and NZ culture. Would highly recommend!!

3 Experiences in 1 Trip This trip entailed 2 wineries with tastings and a gourmet lunch of your choice, a visit to Piha black sand beach--spectacular--and easy rainforest walk to experience nature, birds and dramatic karekare waterfall. The best part was our guide John who knows so much about NZ nature, politics, the wine industry and is happy to share if you like...a passionate ambassador to his country. This tour was an incredible value, with a well maintained and clean vehicle, and pickup options at several hotels. This was a NZ highlight and highly, unreservedly recommend.

A wonderful tour looking beyond Auckland Central John’s Muriwai Scenic Wine Tour was one of the highlights of our recent 3 day pre-cruise visit to Auckland. We did a a small group afternoon tour that included beautiful scenery enroute from Auckland Central to Muriwai Beach and were able to enjoy tastings at two different wineries. We sampled 5 wines at each winery and especially enjoyed Sojan’s Winery. We loved the stop at Muriwai Beach and the chance to view the beautiful black sand coast and gannet colony. John was born and raised in New Zealand and possesses a wealth of knowledge that translated to the perfect amount of information for visitors wanting to learn more about the New Zealand past and present. The Van was comfortable and it was a perfect opportunity to see some of the scenery and communities outside of Auckland Central. We highly recommend the tour if you are looking for an exceptional guide who represents New Zealand in the best possible way. Thank you John, it was a pleasure meeting you!

A great way to spend an afternoon John is an excellent guide. Informative and interesting conversation as he takes you to two excellent vineyards and then on to the gannet colony. This is an afternoon trip. Not too long if you don’t fancy a whole day. Small numbers and the vineyards clearly know him well and are friendly hosts with quality wines to buy at the cellar door or shop to your home nationally or internationally. Highly recommended

Awesome tour guide! Great guide! He was informative and we had a fantastic time. We saw the west side of Auckland and visited 2 great wineries.

Fabulous trip A group of 4 of us did the afternoon Muriwai scenic wine tour. John collected us from Sky City and we joined a small group who were doing the full day. We got to taste 5 wines at each winery and to have a stroll through the vineyard. John was excellent and we learned so much about the history of wine making in the region and also the difficulties experienced by the wine makers. I will never take my glass of wine for granted again 😁 Finally, we visited the Muriwai gannet colony then took a scenic drive back to the city. What a lovely introduction to the delights of Auckland.

Great wineries and scenery We’ve done wine tours all over the world, but this one was absolutely the best because our guide John knew everything about wine making he was terrific . he took us to the Gannet bird colony at Muriwai Beach which was loaded with gannets and their young. He even stopped at a fruit stand to get us cherries. Then he explained everything about the New Zealand honey called.Manuka, John made this Tour very interesting from the start to the finish. Terrific guide.

Great way to end the year! Highly recommend! John is very knowledgeable and willing to answer questions! Great experience!

An amazing experience lead by an awesome tour guide My work team decided to try out our first ever wine tour with John and it was amazing. We had a rough start with the weather, but it all turned out perfect by the end of the day. We got to visit some amazing wineries including Kumeu Estates and Westbrook and then finished off at Muriwai beach. Overall the experience was awesome, our team was sceptical at first but what really turned it around for us was Johns passion and knowledge of the industry and his over and above hospitality. Because of this we are keen to do more in the future. A big thanks to John from the team at NGEN Room for making it a very memorable experience.

Another fabulous experience! Our second tour with John, and another fabulous experience. John is an excellent host & guide, and is very knowledgable on a wide range of topics. The time in the van passed very quickly with such an engaging host. Lunch at Plume was wonderful. Thanks for a great day!

Did not keep appointment. They switched times from 12:30 to 9am. Cruise disembarked 10am. I didn’t get notice nor agree to their switch-a-roo, as it had been planned and paid 6 months ahead. This amateur hour jerk around treatment is exactly what you can expect from the fine tour operators of NZ. You’re next.

A wonderful must-do in Auckland We ended up being just the two of us with John McFarlane of NZWinePro. He is an amazing tour guide who is deeply knowledgeable as well as informative and we had the most wonderful time, visiting beach, waterfall, two wineries and one of the best lunches on our two week trip to New Zealand. John is a terrific host and would highly recommend doing this tour with him and NZWinePro.

Excellent Wine Tour Wonderful day with our host John. Highly recommend this tour to anyone living or visiting the Auckland area. John's knowledge about winemaking was first rate.

Wonderful! Highly recommend Wonderful! Terrific! Outstanding! John did an excellent job. Not only does he have an excellent knowledge of wine but also honey and all the local customs and history. He was very friendly and extremely helpful. He insured our comfort all day long and made sure our experience was very memorable. I would take the tour again anytime.

Great local wine experience! We had a fantastic time on this tour. We covered two excellent wineries, and also were able to see the beautiful Muriwai beach. The tour covered a lot of regional information and specifics about the wines. Would highly recommend!

Auckland countryside perfect day tour Had an awesome day with John hiking rainforest, black sand Piha Beach, Gannet bird colony, wine tasting and fabulous fish and chips. Highly recommended! John is extremely knowledgeable and accommodating!!

Great tastings, lots of information, best guide EVER So I signed up for the Vineyards , Honey and Black Sand beaches tour in error, thinking I would be going to Waiheke Island. Best mistake I ever made. This tour was fantastic. The vineyards we went to were amazing. The scenery was breathtaking. Black Sand Beach was something out of a movie. Lunch at the Soljans Vineyard bistro was delicious. All of the staff at the vineyards were very knowledgeable and informative.But the best part was our guide John. In all my travels throughout the world I don’t think I’ve ever had a more knowledgeable tour guide. There wasn’t a single question that I asked that he couldn’t answer. It’s obvious that he knows a lot about wine. I highly recommend this tour.

Thanks John and NZWINEPRO for the Tour! John M., our wine tour guide and owner of this Auckland wine tour was perfect! First off he was able to pick us up at our hotel not too far away from the Sky Tower which was prearranged and messaged before the tour started. This wine tour was 6 hours, visited 3 wineries and the black sand beach to see the Garret birds and included a perfect lunch. John has spent over 23+ years in the tour business and has extensive wine making knowledge, he was the perfect wine tour guide. During the tour, John was able to thoroughly explain the wine making process and how the different regions of NZ had the different climates and grew different grapes.The three wineries we visited were in the Kumeu area of Auckland. All were smaller wineries but all were different than each other. John had a good rapport with the wineries so everything was taken care of and the pours were awesome (5 different wines, 3 wineries, 15 different wines in total). John even took us on a behind the scenes tour of Kumeu Winery (the best part of the tour)! We had lunch at the Landing at Riverhead and was able to pick a nice NZ steak for lunch (anything extra was on you). The tour comes with lunch and you’re able to choose from a variety of dishes. Even though the weather was a bit rainy, John took us to see the Garret birds at Muriwai Beach (November is egg laying season), before heading back to Auckland CBD. Overall an awesome wine tour, we were lucky to have John to ourselves for the tour. Book this tour, you won’t be disappointed. We are visitors from Los Angeles in Auckland for the Metallica concert.

Amazing winery tour in Auckland I'm a wine enthusiast and it was the best decision to take the tour with NZ Wine tour. This company is specialized on winery tours and John is very much knowledgeable than any other tour guide that I have seen in different regions. His explanation helped us a lot to understand the process how the wine is made in the wineries we visit which I feel like the wines are even tastier after knowing those backgrounds. Overall it was wonderful time and if I come back to Auckland I will definitely look for this tour company!

Excellent tour. Excellent tour with John. He was full of interesting New Zealand information and very knowledgeable and clearly passionate about the wine industry. We thoroughly enjoyed our wine tastings and our delicious lunch. The drive through the beautiful countryside only enhanced our day. We highly recommend.

Great day with NZ Wine Pro! John was amazing, the tour of the beaches, waterfalls and rainforest exceeded expectations as well as the wine tasting. It was a perfect day, we learned so much from John. He was a perfect tour guide. And lunch was really good! Highly recommended!!

Go for it! Amazing, very knowledgeable and accommodating guide, scenic ride, welcoming wineries and the gannet colony of Muriwai to top it all. A wonderful day of adventure and culture. Highly recommended,Halina & Jarek

Great way to spend an afternoon! We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon with John who is very knowledgeable about the areas we passed through and about the wineries in general. We were picked up from our hotel bang on time and we lucked out with pretty good weather on the day. Sampled some lovely wines along the way and we really appreciated the option to purchase a delicious platter or pizza at the second winery. On the drive back we stopped at some pretty stunning places to take in some breathtaking views and amazing scenery. A really enjoyable afternoon and I have no hesitation in recommending this tour.

Brilliant wine tour, just what we needed John knows his stuff and is a very pleasant guide. We visited several vineyards and tasted plenty of excellent wine. Recommended!

Fabulous! Fabulous day. John was very knowledgeable and we got to see winemaking as never before. All three wineries were great. Lunch was fabulous. When we went to the beach, due to big winds,we were able to watch some awesome kite surfers. All in all a great experience with an amazing guide

Amazing piha Very nice tour! Lots to see and john was amazing. Professional, he kept us non stop in the loop. A very good driver indeed!

A memorable afternoon! Our group of 5 friends had a fantastic time with John. He was kind and knowledgeable and very accommodating with our needs. He should have been home with family on this Kiwi holiday, but he took time to show us a good afternoon. I will definitely recommend him again to friends or family!

Great experience, beautiful sites and good wine. The guide was very knowledgeable about much more than just wine. The tour went on even though we were the only 2 customers. It made for a very nice day. We saw many sites other than wineries and the wineries we did go to were very good. Highly recommended.

Fun day Best day ever. It was a national holiday. But we were still able to have lunch and wine. With a great drive and stop at the beach. Lovely day.

Great way to spend the day John was amazing! Pick up was just as scheduled. He provided commentary about all the areas we traveled through and was also very knowledgeable about the wine and wine regions. Our group was large enough that we were the only ones on the tour. He was so friendly and it just felt like he was one of us! It also allowed us to somewhat personalize the tour to our needs. We all had a great time! Looking forward to my next visit so I can explore another area on one of the other tours.

Wonderful way to begin our trip to NZ We had the pleasure of having John as our tour guide. We arrived in AKL at 0600 on Tuesday, March 11. We couldn't check into our hotel until after 1500, so I booked this tour because it was an all day tour and it offered a combination scenery tour, along with wine tour and lunch. From John, we learned so much about New Zealand, history, flora and fauna, the NZ economy, manuka honey but most of all, his extensive knowledge of wine. We thoroughly enjoyed this tour, although we were tired from our 13 airplane ride, we were completely engaged and happy that we did this tour. Loved the Soljans Winery tasting and lunch where I was introduced to the delightful Sauvignon Blanc. We bought two bottles of wine to take home. What a great way to spend the day in Auckland! Thank you again John!

Nice day tour to enjoy black beaches and wine This tour allowed us to see the west side to New Zealand. The black sand beaches were so soft and beautiful. The road to get to the west side is narrow and curvy, if you get car sick take note. The scenery while driving was simply breath taking. The two wineries provided good information about their wines and we were given ample time to taste and enjoy. The lunch served at the first winery was delicious. If you have an opportunity to take this tour I would highly recommend. We thoroughly enjoyed our day.

Site seeing and Wine tasting John was absolutely fabulous and we had a great time. It was a perfect balance of seeing some incredible sites and wine tasting. We visited Piha beach, rainforest and Karekare waterfalls. Wineries we very friendly and provided a personal touch. I would highly recommend John and this tour.

Must do experience Great way to spend the afternoon. Spectacular views and great choice of wineries.John our guide was friendly and knowledgeable.He went out of his way to accommodate my request in search for the ultimate fruit ice-cream.Well planned tour.

Really good tour We’ve had a brilliant day and John was an excellent guide. Piha beach was beautiful as were the waterfalls. Had a delicious lunch of red snapper at the first vineyard. The wine tasting was very enjoyable. Would definitely recommend this tour.

Piha beach was beautiful and so were the falls. We had already toured the city and Waiheke island, but we hadn't seen the beaches or rain-forest of the nearby west side. I'm glad we took this tour. It gave us a chance to view more of the unspoiled beauty of New Zealand. Added plus was that this tour finished by 2pm enabling us to catch our evening flight home without needing to rush.

Amazing sights especially if you have limited time! What a wonderful tour! John was our guide and was so clear and communicative from the very start. His insights into New Zealand history and culture was fasinating and vast. Piha beach and the waterfall were beautiful and we stopped at several locations for breathaking photos. Boy does John know about wines! We had a great stop at a winery to taste test and learn about how wines came to be grown in NZ. Also got to sample some local manuka honey which was an added bonus!They have a full day version of this tour, with lunch but this shorter one was perfect for us as we made it back to Auckland by early afternoon to rest, shop and meet friends for dinner!In fact, John gave us a leaflet with various recommendations that did not dissappoint! We had a fabulois meal of green lipped mussels and frites at The Occidental and visted several other recommendations - all A+++! This is a must do tour!

Paradise at Piha The views at Piha were stunning and the walk in the Rainforest beautiful and so peacefulJohn our driver/guide was so informative and paced our whole trip so wellEnjoyed the wineries tooI would recommend this trip to anyone

Tour by John John was an excellent tour guide. He brought us to an amazing beach, great scenic tours, a rain forest hike and two good wineries with amazing food. As a disabled veteran in the USA, he was extremely accommodating to my disability and helped me get through the rain forest hike without injury. By far the best tour we have done yet. I would recommend this tour to anybody and I would do it again.

Best winery tour! Best time ever! John was amazing and brought so much energy to our hens night out! Went above and beyond! Was a good addition to our group!100/10 would recommend Kumeu Vineyard shuttle tours!

The best host ever If I could leave more stars I would John was a legend on our hens night ! Can’t thank him enough ! Would highly recommend! !!

Amazing Tour We had a great tour with John. He is very knowledgeable about wine. We were the only two on the tour and he was extremely excited to show us around the vineyards. We highly recommend him!

Great day Great day even though it was raining. Picked up right outside the Sky Tower Casino which was a short walk from our hotel. John gave commentary about the area as he drove us to the first stop at Kumeu River Winery. We had a few tastings of each white and red. John then showed us around the winery. We saw the laboratory where they create new flavors, the barrels in the seller, and the bottling area. We then drove to view the black sand beach for a photo. We then arrived at Westbrook. This winery is in a beautiful country setting. We enjoyed the tastings, but would have liked to walked the grounds but unfortunately it was still raining. We learned a lot about different wines and the wine making process.

NZ Enchanting Outdoors Meets Impressive Vino Tour! My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our Piha Waitakere range Wine Tour excursion with John with NZWINEPRO! We got to explore the beautiful black sands at Piha and I believe the road was closed at the time for the original falls to visit, but John had a couple of back up plans and we chose to explore Kitekite falls which was absolutely gorgeous, it felt like you were walking through Jurassic Park! My husband and I are winos back at home in the NYS Fingerlakes region, so we really enjoyed all of the experience and background that John had to share as well as all of his extensive knowledge of New Zealand itself! We highly recommend booking this tour if you want to check off a variety of things of your NZ bucket list! Cheers John!

Epic John is an extremely knowledgeable outstanding guide! I was totally impressed with his unlimited energy and positive friendly attitude. He definitely is doing what he loves and it was totally appreciated! He also was extremely flexible with the day and we felt very fortunate to experience his genuine care and hospitality! Highly recommended!!!

Absolutely Awesome John was amazing. He offered a perfect blend of wine tasting and site seeing. The wineries were wonderful and the sites were breathtaking. John was very personable and knowledgeable. Thank you for a wonderful afternoon!!

Diverse excursion Versatile trip taking you outside Auckland in a reasonable comfortable way. The combo of wine tasting, beach and rainforest worked for us. Guide knowledgeable both about visited areas and New Zealand in general. We were also very grateful for him not cancelling on us when others cancelled their bookings for that day. Being just two of us for the tour was a privilege. For those of you who are serious about wine tasting this would maybe not be the main trip to choose. However, second winery, Westbrook was well worth it. Great introduction to the three wines we tried. Got the opportunity tasting a fantastic Chardonay from 2019 which we also purchased and drank with great joy. It was also nice to be dropped off at rented accommodation after a long day on the roads. As a serious wine tasting = nope but as a versatile educational trip including lovely experiences = yep

Excellent tour The Piha tour was spectacular. Our guide, John, was excellent from start to finish. Our tour turned into a private one since we were a group of four friends, and it was just us four on the tour that day. Piha is a place with stunning views, and the wine tour was great. The lunch with red snapper was amazing. It's a tour I highly recommend, and if you can request John as your guide, even better.

Greatest tour! Everything about this tour was perfect! The tour guide, John, was very friendly, knowledgable, and hospitable. He knows everything there is to know about wine and wine-making. He communicated timely for a seamless pickup and drop off— even getting us closer to the hotel than the default area point. The tour itself takes you through the rolling hills of Aucklands beautiful suburbs/country. There are lots of sheep, cattle, and greenery. The vineyards were lovely— they will give you sample tasting to the kinds of wines you like or are more inclined too. Everything was 10/10! Highly recommend.

Excellent Tour! We had such an excellent experience with John at NZ Wine Pro! John communicated so well, was really accommodating of our requirements and was super flexible on the day. John also had a great knowledge of all of the locations we visited, along with the wines. Highly recommend!

Perfect Scenic Tour + Wine Combo from Auckland This tour was fantastic! John was a great tour guide who has spent his career in hospitality and wine so was super knowledgable of the wider Auckland area. He will pick you up right from your hotel if you are in the CBD and whisk you away to a fun day full of wine and sights. Piha beach and the Karekare waterfall are a bit off the typical beaten path (you get there by a small windy road through the mountains) but are great spots. All the vineyards we went to were fantastic as well- be ready to bring home a couple bottles!

You’ll love this trip 5. Great tour. John, our guide was a wealth of information as we drove the beautiful countryside to the different stops. Wineries were well chosen and offered a variety of tastings. Would highly recommend if in Auckland!

Amazing Tour John was great. Beautiful wineries along with great scenery. Best tour I have ever been on and I’ve been on a ton! Great lunch at a beautiful vineyard. Loved the views of the black sand beaches. 10/10!

Great afternoon out! We had a fantastic time with John, visiting two wineries and Muriwai Beach (great views of kite-surfers, gannets, and big ocean waves). Had a tasting and tour of the facilities at Kumeu River and a second tasting at Westbrook. John really added to our experience with his deep knowledge of all things wine-related, but he also had an answer for any question we asked about New Zealand. Vehicle was clean and very comfortable. Prompt pickup from the centrally located Sky City Hotel. This was a great afternoon activity for our first day in New Zealand. Highly recommended.

Intimate and Fun Very fun! There were 10 of us and it allowed for some great bonding with the rest of the group. Lots of great wine and we came out with so much new knowledge on wine.

DON'T MISS THIS WINE TOUR We had a fabulous day on the wine tour with John McFarlane today. He knowledge is incredible about wine and everything New Zealand. His passion for the wine industry enhanced our tour of 3 wineries. We had a delicious lunch at Sojans and a trip to the black sand beach. Highly recommend this tour...a 10 out of 10. It made our visit to Auckland.

Auckland Wine tour John, our tour operator was excellent. His detailed descriptions, not just regarding the tour, about NZ and Auckland was very informative. His know of NZ wines is excellent.

Excellent wine tasting experience Fantastic wine tour with friends. John was very knowledgeable about the wines and the history of the vineyards we visited. Great company, lovely local wines and excellent lunch.

Great wine tour from Auckland We had a great tour with NZWinepro. We visited three very interesting wineries and had a wonderful lunch at one of them. We also saw other sights in the area and learned lots about New Zealand and wine. Very worthwhile tour and a great value.

Magnifique et agréable tour Tour très agréable avec un excellent guide John. De magnifiques étendues de plages de sable noir de Piha et d’excellent vignobles familiaux. Je recommande fortement😊

Excellent day trip from Auckland From pick up in the morning until drop off in the evening, this was an all-around lovely trip. We stopped at multiple wineries and sampled many different ones at each stop. The lunch at one winery was well done. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and gave us interesting information about wine making in New Zealand. The stop at the black sands beach was perfect and not at all rushed. I hugely appreciated that our driver did not seem to mind if we lingered at various stops, making the day feel truly special. I wish we had been able to sample the honey, but we did not on our particular excursion.

Wineries, black sand and honey tour five stars Lovely day visiting wineries with tour guide John who was very informative the whole time. We would definitely recommend this tour.

Worthwhile adventure This was a very enjoyable way to spend the day. Three wineries and a very nice lunch. The stop at the black sand beaches was breathtaking. Our tour guide was very informative and friendly. He did a great job making us fell welcome.

Great time with a very knowledgeable guide John was a thoroughly pleasant and informative guide, seeing the beautiful beaches and wineries was well worth it

A different side of Auckland Piha was amazing. The lunch was delicious as was the wine. John is an excellent host and a very safe driver. We saw a side of Auckland that we didn't know existed. A great way to spend a day.

Ótima experiência John foi um ótimo guia. O tempo estava ótimo então começando indo à praia e depois fomos almoçar em uma vinícola - o almoço estava muito bom. Depois fomos a mais duas vinícolas que eram menores o que achei ótimo pois, por sorte nossa, só tínhamos nós. Recomendo muito tanto o passeio quanto a equipe

Amazing start to our move to Auckland, NZ. 5 out of 5 stars! My wife and I had just moved to Auckland a few days before, and the friendly and gregarious John made us feel right at home! He not only gave us fantastic information about our location, but NZ as a whole. He even was able to pivot the tour to a different winery because the other couple with us already visited one of the planned ones. As we went through the beaches, we I mentioned that I loved to surf. John even went out of his way a bit to show me another great place to catch some waves. He even agreed to stay in touch after the tour to help us learn the ropes of this beautiful, new country. Now that is service above and beyond! Fantastic scenery, food, company, and wine. My wife and I would highly recommend to anyone visiting Auckland!

Great tour! Great tour organized by John, who was very knowledgeable and did his best to ensure we were enjoying ourselves! John took us around to discover the outskirts of Auckland on our way to the vineyards and filled us in on so many details regarding not only New Zealand’s wine production but also the city’s history. We particularly enjoyed the black sandy beach visit which was beautiful even considering the strong wind and cold. Once the tour was over, John was so kind to take us back to our hotels without even having to walk back..much appreciated John! Very nice tour if you are looking for a good wine tasting experience with a small group (we happened to only 5 people). Highly recommended!

Great experience Great experience. Insightful explanations of the guide. Muriwai is an amazing place. Unforgettable afternoon

Excellent Wine and Beach Adventure with John McFarlane The wineries and lunch place were excellent. The black sand beaches were gorgeous. Wineries were generous with their wine samplings. John has a lot of knowledge and experience with wines and the history of the area. He is very helpful with questions about wine and the Auckland area. He has some political opinions (including on U.S. politics) which although you may not agree with all of them, he gives them politely and intelligently.

John is an interesting and knowledgeable host Our group totaled 8, and we had an enjoyable day with John as we visited wineries and the black sand beach, along with a stop at a brewery for lunch. Tastings and staff at each stop were friendly and attentive.

Black sands and wine tasting - the ideal jet lag deterrent We took this tour on our first day in Auckland, after a 13 hour flight. John kept us well informed and well wined. He is prompt, super knowledgeable and does his best to customize the tour based on who’s in the van. Muriwai is lovely even in the winter months. Do wear comfortable walking shoes. There were some rocky and uneven parts of the path down to the shore.

Best wine tour, best guide made for the best day! 100% recommend, best tour of our trip! John is wonderful, extremely knowledgeable and so gracious. We had so many questions and he answered all and we chatted with him all day. We loved every second of our tour! We stopped at 3 wonderful wineries (favorite was Coopers Creek) and loved everything that we tired. Lunch was great at Soljans and we loved the beaches and forest/bush, truly a gorgeous drive and great day!

Beautiful beaches countryside and wine John is a gracious and accomodating host. He is knowlegeable about New Zealand history and shares relevant information.

Matakana and North East Auckland area wineries. We visited NZ in February and booked a wine tour with John to the Piha region, but due to the cyclone and storms this was cancelled. Instead we went to north east Auckland province around wineries and places of interest. The Syrah 2015 at the Matakana winery was a highlight. Compare it to their 2014 if you get the chance and see how it continues to mature in the bottle. An excellent red for us, and their whites and rose were very notable as well. The Pinot Gris at Brick Bay was another excellent wine, and a tour round their gardens is also worthwhile. On the tour we also went to a Chocolate shop in Warkworth among other places of interest. If you like chocolate with your wines, then make sure you get to go there. The Pinot Gris at Brick Bay was also excellent for our palate with a subtle flavor. John and all the wineries were very knowledgeable and I really recommend you look at this tour as a great experience while you are in the area. I can’t say what the Piha tour was like but this tour was great and we will look to repeat the tour when we next come to NZ.

Fantastic day with lots of delicious wine & super tasty lunch Well this review doesn’t really reflect the title but I’ll explain why? Our host, Tour Guide & Owner John contacted us after the recent catastrophic weather event suffered by New Zealand advising that due to the devastating after effects of Cyclone Gabriel he wasn’t able to provide the tour as advertised but was able to arrange another similar trip to a less effected area if we wished. Wanting to assist & support local business as best we could, we readily accepted. John really had to think on his feet making changes at very short notice. To say we were happy with the trip would be an understatement. John hit the brief on every level, we visited three fabulous Wineries, Brick Bay, Coopers Creek & Westbrook where we got to taste some truly astoundingly good wines supported by enthusiastic & friendly owners & experts at each venue. As part of the tour we also had a very tasty lunch at the Sawmill Brewery.John has a ‘Wine Industry’ background & as such a depth of knowledge that provides real insight into everything wine! John also is an expert in honey & brings an extra dimension to the days enjoyment by way of sample tasting & enlightening information relating to this special bounty provided by the the humble bee & flora of this wonderful land.I thoroughly recommend this tour to anyone that has an interest in wine & wishes to see New Zealand’s beautiful countryside

A Wonderful Experience for the Wine Enthusiast! We did this tour as a couple and it so happened to be on a day when we were the only ones scheduled. John was our guide and was extremely friendly and accommodating. We enjoyed some scenic views of the coast and countryside as we made our way to the different wineries. John has a long history in the wine industry and is extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of wine from grape to glass. If you are interested in wine or just want a nice day to relax and learn about wine then this is your tour.

Terrific An excellent tour with a truly knowledgeable guide who knew a lotThe weather was awful - torrential rain and howling winds. John however was undeterred and we got around everythingThe wineries were top notch unlike the poor offerings on Waiheke'Well done JohnThis is the one to try

Wonderful Experience Our excursion was awesome! John is an excellent host and tour guide. His knowledge of wines, New Zealand's history and current happenings lead to conversations during our drive around the coastal area. Everything was just perfect: chocolates, cheeses, lunch and the wines! Our group of four joined John for two different tours during the week. I highly recommend John and NZ WINEPRO to anyone visiting New Zealand for a wonderful experience.

Fun and great wine A great intro to Auckland and New Zealand. John is very knowledgeable about wine and the Auckland Area. Had a great time with 5 other people. Visited 2 wineries and saw some incredible scenery. Enjoyed every minute of the tour.

Three winery tour with John Group of five of us joined six others and driver John to visit Soljans, Kumea River and Westbrooke wineries. Despite the monsoon conditions and localized flooding (Auckland got 200+mm rain or 8+ inches in 36 hours), John kept our spirits high with quips and tales of the region, its history and inhabitants, plus the occasional joke. Sadly, the weather precluded a visit to the black sand beach and bird sanctuary. The three wineries gave us a great taste for wines in the region and John led our tour of the winemaking operations at Kumea. A very pleasant way to spend a Friday afternoon in miserable weather.Special thanks to driver John - he was delightful.

Totally Recommend John was a pro! And so knowledgeable about wines, the local wine areas, New Zealand as a whole as well as wines from around the world. We had terrible rain and flooded roads but he drove carefully and made changes to the program as necessary. He also knows many people do we meet owners, vintners, and wine makers.

Wonderful, entertaining and delightful! John was an excellent host - very knowledgeable, accommodating and fun to be with. We went to two different wineries (half day excursion) and learned more than I’ve ever learned about wine making!

Fab relaxing, enjoyable afternoon Great afternoon. John was an excellent host & the wineries were lovely. A lovely relaxing, informative trip. Would thoroughly recommend.

5 Star Afternoon John was the best guide we had during our 5 week trip. Highly recommended.The vineyards were very welcoming & the reds at West Brook the best.

A fantastic day with lots of interesting facts and some delicious wine and food What a fantastic day, john was brilliant so much information and knowledge about the Auckland area, rain forests, pants, wine and food. The day was absolutely the best. Well done John on making our last day in Auckland so special.

Wine tour John was an excellent host and provided so much information on New Zealand and wine in an entertaining way. My husband is a retired viticulture professor and found his information on the New Zealand wines and industry to be both accurate and interesting.

Brilliant This was brilliant. Wasn’t sure how my young adult kids would enjoy a wine tour but they loved it as much as us and were made to feel very welcome. John is an excellent guide with a wealth of knowledge. Absolute highlight of our time in Auckland.

Excellent wine tour, highly recommend! John was an exceptional host for our group from the organisation of the day, to the actual day out, everything was great. We thoroughly enjoyed our winery tour for our work Christmas party, travelling to three different wineries in West Auckland, and would definitely recommend and book with John again. Thanks!

A lovely day out for casual and serious wine lovers alike John provided my Mum and I with a lovely experience on this small group tour. He was warm, friendly and highly knowledgeable and the day was full but not rushed. It was a great balance getting a morning of sightseeing of beautiful places that would be difficult to access as a tourist without a car (or local knowledge to find the best views and photo spots), followed by tastings at three wineries in the afternoon. The wineries were largely family owned and run affairs with a rich history and were quite different from one another. John clearly knows and has built up relationships with the people behind these wineries acting as far more than a chauffeur and knowing their stories and wines well. Our tour included a tasty lunch and a peek behind the scenes of one of the wineries. We aren’t really wine connoisseurs but would highly recommend this tour as something aficionados and casual wine drinkers could equally enjoy!

Excellent way to spend half a day in Auckland! John was an excellent guide, sharing knowledge on honey, wine and the garnets ! The wineries were excellent, and the garnet watching spot simply breath-taking! Highly recommend this tour or the longer full day tour if you have a day to spend in Auckland.

A beautiful day of nature and wine It was a very enjoyable day with a knowledgeable tour guide. We enjoyed the combination of seeing nature and the winery visits!

Just awesome! Great experience....wine, company, food and chocolate! Can't believe we live so close to Matakana and yet it took John's tour for us to experience such good wine, great company and really outstanding food. This included some heavenly chocolate tasting too.Great wine tour with a knowledgeable and friendly guide. We had a perfect day which was made even more special by the wild parrots seen at the last vineyard.

Excellent and knowledgeable wine tour John shared much of the New Zealand environment we would not have seen otherwise, but his knowledge of wine and wine making is exceptional and added a wealth of knowledge to the wine tastings.

A day to savour My wife and I, together with 2 other couples from Tasmania and South California, had a great day out learning about the conservation, daily livelihood of being a Kiwi, and the recent developments in NZ from our excellent tour guide Mr John McFarlane. John, is also experienced in the local wine industry and took us to a behind the scene tour on the growing, manufacturing of bottled wine from Soljans, Kumeu and Westbrook, all with a Eastern European ancestry brewers with almost a hundred year history. We had a fantastic lunch at the Hallertau Brewery. They were fantastic sceneries in the rainforest, Piha beaches and small attractive waterfall. It is a day to savour. We were extremely fortunate to meet up with the fantastic couples who travelled widely on other parts of the world as well as sharing our recent travel experiences in Australia and New Zealand. John was absolutely superb and attended to our every needs and even averted a crisis of lost property with well worked out contingency plans executed to perfection. We would love to do this all over again. Thank you

Great afternoon Very informative. John was very knowledgeable and pleasant to deal with. The wineries were excellent and very welcoming. Highly recommend

Amazing way to explore more of New Zealand and try local wines! Our family did a wine tour with John and loved every second of it! Not only did he take us to three amazing wineries, he also drove us to numerous picture-perfect beaches and lookouts in New Zealand. This day trip was an amazing way to see more of New Zealand in such a short amount of time. He was very knowledgable about the local environment and history, making the trip informative and entertaining even while driving between wineries. He makes the trip such a personal experience, with each trip being memorable and unique. He accommodated to our families individual needs and made sure we all had an amazing time, I cannot recommend booking with him enough!

Fantastic and informative This was a fabulous 1/2 day trip from Auckland. Tour guide/owner was fantastic. So knowledgeable, passionate and experienced. Took us to 2 great wineries and to the ganat nesting place....wow breath taking!!! Such a great day out. HIGHLY recommended booking with this guy!!!

1000% The best Tour Guide in NZ We had the most incredible time with John, his expert knowledge and enthusiasm is infectious. We couldn't recommend anything more highly, amazing sites and beautiful wineries. We learnt so much! We will be back again and again xxx

It’s an Auckland must! A really enjoyable afternoon visiting 2 wineries and seeing the gannets. Couldn’t recommend this trip more. Great knowledge from John about wines and New Zealand in general and we covered everything from food to politics! Highly recommend.

Wine Tour This was a great day had by all of us. The knowledge of John was second to none!! Also lots of laughs and extremely accommodating.This is the second wine tour I have done with him and would be extremely happy to go again. As each time I always learn something new.

Great guide and experience - a must in Auckland! We loved every minute of this wine tour. We were able to see a wide variety of the beautiful areas surrounding Auckland. The wine options were wonderful and the tour group size was small. We booked this last minute on a whim and we are so pleased that we did!

A truly great wine tour We were in Auckland last week and we booked a wine tour with John at NZWINEPRO. We had the best day, John went out of his way to accomodate us.I had been on 4 tours with John before, but it was my friend’s first.We did the Matakana tour. It was a wonderful day. We tasted so many lovely wines. John picked us up at the hotel and dropped us back.John is do knowledgeable and easy going. We totally recommend this tour provider

West Auckland Tour We had a wonderful day with John. He picked us up from a central Hotel and we headed out West to take in the sites of the ranges from the Visitor Centre in the Waitakere ranges before heading down to Piha. John was happy to stop along the way if we wanted and provided a really informative commentary. We then headed to visit three Wineries out West. All three were different and provided a great appreciation of the area and the history. John was very accommodating with the drop off for all the party. I can highly recommend John and the experience that you get from these tours.

Fabulous tour with a good mixture of sight-seeing and wineries We did a private tour with John and it was amazing! John was so knowledgeable and professional. The wineries we visited were fabulous with a great selection of wines for tasting. Highly recommended!

Piha Karekare Rainforest Wine Tour Thoroughly recommend this tour. We had a fabulous day. John (tour guide/operator) makes this trip special. What he does not know about the region or wine is not worth knowing. The vineyards visited were outstanding and some great wines were tasted.

Must-book to explore the region John is fantastically knowledgeable, with a great sense of hospitality. Beautiful scenery and thoughtful selection of wineries.

Our best day in Auckland Our guide, John, was punctual and very knowledgeable. He is an encyclopedia of all things Auckland and wine. It is the light season for such tour, and we were lucky to have him just for the 2 of us. Beautiful sceneries and tasty, good quality lunch and wines. If you are interested to learn more about wine, John is your guy.

Personalized, professional and knowledgeable My wife and I were the only people on the tour and loved the personal experience. John's expertise across the whole board of wine making to tasting.

Puts the PRO in WinePro First wine tour and John absolutely introduced us in the best way! Such a professional—full of personality, passion and charisma. His relationship with each winery was great evidence of a person filled with respect and knowledge for the art of wine. Immaculate from beginning to end. Thank you, John! You deserve all the success.

Excelente tour, cumple con todo y mas Excelente el tour, cumple con todo, bellos paisajes y lugares secretos, muy buen almuerzo, gran variedad de vinos. Lo mejor el guía, muy amable, muy agradable. Salimos a las 09:30 horas y regresamos a las 17:00. Muy buena relación calidad/precio

A Great fun day. From start to finish our full day tour was first class. John, our guide was really informed on all of the wineries and in particular the wines of the region. We visited 4 wineries all within a short drive to each other and stopped for lunch at one where we received a VIP tour from the owners. We tasted and purchased lots of wine and had an absolute ball throughout the day. I can’t recommend these guys highly enough for a great fun day out.

Such a wonderful tour in NZ for sights and knowledge My husband and I did a short trip to Auckland this month and booked a tour with NZ Wine Pro. This was the best idea because we were able to see and learn so much. John was so knowledgeable about New Zealand and wine. My husband said he learned so much about wine during the tour. It was an amazing afternoon of seeing beautiful New Zealand sights from waterfalls, black sand beaches and beautiful wineries. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone going to the Auckland area.

Great shuttle option This is the only shuttle wine tour I have seen in Auckland. An awesome option as you can choose what to pay at each of the venues and saves you money by not having a lunch and tasting included! John was super knowledgeable and we had an excellent afternoon. Would absolutely recommend

NZWINEPRO Vineyard Shuttle Fantastic fun experience, wealth of knowledge on wines and wineries and flexibility made this tour superb!! Highly recommend!!

The perfect day out in Auckland You wrote on the 16 March 2022Enjoy tasting wine across the best wineries in Auckland. John is very knowledgeable and well known within all the wineries, you will be treated like VIP's at each stop and a fabulous lunch is included in the package. The perfect way to spend a special occasion or a day trip in Auckland.

Kelly’s Hen Party….Absolutely brilliant! Deciding to take the Muriwai Scenic Wine Tour with John, for my daughter’s hen party, was a stroke of genius on her younger sister’s part. What a day we had! It was the best and John was the perfect host. Friendly and engaging giving us room to enjoy ourselves but also quietly corralling us from one venue to the next. There was a lot of singing, laughter and good times had by all. A wonderful curtain raiser to what proved to be an equally wonderful wedding. Thanks John.

Excellent Wine Tour! John was absolutely excellent as a guide for our wine tour. We were a group of 5 and the only people booked on to the tour and john over delivered on knowledge or NZ and wines in general. The drive to the various vineyards is not a quick trip but john filled the rides with lively conversation. We sampled at 2 wineries and had a great stopover at a black sand beach with amazing views. Highly recommend this tour and would gladly do it again when I return to NZ

Exceptional tour This tour is a great value to enjoy the NZ countryside and try some fine wines. John is a friendly and knowledgeable tour guide that went above and beyond our expectations, providing information and catering to our specific needs. Highly recommend!

an excellent tour I took my niece, visiting from Australia, on this tour. She was keen to try some NZ wines, not having visited for many years.We turned out to be the only participants on the tour. it was a cold and wet day, but John did his utmost to compensate for that with the warmth of his interactions with us. We did the west Auckland tour, and John took us to 4 of the very best wineries, based on his knowledge of exactly what kind of wines we wanted to try. he was professional and knowledgeable, and gave us exactly the tour we wanted. We had an excellent lunch at one of the wineries, which was included in the price. As it was such bad weather, we decided to flag the visit to the west coast beach and fit in another winery instead, which John happily agreed to. I cannot recommend his tour highly enough, and would welcome any questions anyone may want to ask me.

Fabulous Sunday with great food and wine experiences along the way. Loved every minute of our Matakana Getaway. Spent an incredible day with John, exploring Matakana and some of the excellent vineyards and wineries along the way. An intimate experience which will be in our memories forever. Wine, cheese and chocolate along the way. What more could one ask for on a lazy, scenic Sunday :)Our lunch along the way was superb. We loved the experience and will be back for more. Hopefully soon. Now have a couple of bottles of great New Zealand wines added to our collection. Thanks John for the recommendations. We are very pleased.

This boutique private tour of wineries on the Matakana Scenic Coast is a must! I had a short holiday in Auckland with 2 friends and wanted to include a day wine tour but didn't want the hassle of hiring a car and not being able to enjoy the tastings. We stumbled across NZWinePro's website and booked a day tour of Auckland wineries. Communication was fast, friendly and efficient and everything was sorted very quickly.Our guide, John, picked us up from our hotel on time and in a very nice, clean, and well appointed 4WD. John was an absolute delight and very knowledgeable about wines and the region and it's history. He stopped in various places to show us little gems around the coast - lots of things we would never have known to look for if we had driven ourselves. One of my friends on the tour is from Auckland and said she had no idea about all the little places to go and things to see.It was lovely to have a private tour and not have to deal with other tourists. John was also able to include impromptu stops for us as required.The tour included several stunning wineries and cheese makers, an amazing lunch, some boutique shopping and some stops at historic sites and places of natural beauty along the journey. The portions at the wine tastings were all very generous - I have done many wine tours in Australia and they only give you a tiny sip! All of the tastings John took us to were generous in size and wineries were well informed ahead of our visit and ready to receive us for a personal tasting with the winery owners. John was also able to advise us on customs issues what we could and could not take back to Australia in our luggage. He also had access to a fridge if we needed to keep anything chilled rather than stored in a hot car (less of an issue for us as it was May but definitely necessary in Summer).I can't recommend this tour enough - our host John was a delight, value for money was outstanding and we had the most wonderful day. And of course, NZ wines are outstanding - we bought quite a few bottles to enjoy back home. I will be recommending him to my friends and business colleagues.

A great way to spend a day My sisters and I did the Matakana Scenic Coastal Getaway tour last month and it was a lovely way to spend a day together. John was a great guide and had interesting information about the area and wine culture in the area. All the wines we tasted were delicious, the cheese tasting at the Puhoi factory was great and the chocolates from Chocolate Brown were all amazing. The lunch at Plume was really good as well. It was a good, enjoyable day and we had a fun time.

Fabulous Waiheke Island wine tour The tour was brilliant, John was so professional, organised and informative. Being able to go from Hamilton was great and having the ferry organised as part if the tour was a plus. The vineyards he selected were lovely and the balance was good in terms of seeing lots of the island but not too rushed. Would highly recommend this tour to others. Thank you John, it was a great day out with the girls!

Amazing day! Super recommend Decided to take a wine tour to Waiheke Island, chose NZ Wine Pro, and truly it was the best decision!John, the owner, was a charm!! He took us to the best wineries, drove us around in a very comfy van, took care of the ferry, and was always with a smile telling us very interesting thing trough the day. We were a group of 9 girls, and ended up going to 4 of the best and more beautiful wineries.Literally we didn’t have to worry about a thing! John made ir all super easy and beautiful. I super recommend this company. Really, a wonderful experience. Super trustworthy and great value for money.

Wonderful Waiheke John hosted a group of 9 of us for a beautiful day on Waiheke. From driving us to Auckland to the ferry terminal, providing masks to those of us that forgot for the ferry to expertly guiding us to some of Waiheke’s best vineyards and an olive oil estate. He made lunch recommendations to suit different budgets, and gave us just the right amount of island history. It was a lovely day out. I’d recommend to anyone who wants a day trip without the hassle of who will drive, where should we go next etc. Thanks John!

Waiheke wonders! My friends and I were planning a girls winery trip to Waiheke! We reached out to John from NZ Wine Pro as I had heard he offered a tour and would take us from Hamilton! The over all experience was amazing! He was so accommodating with helping us plan our trip and personalising it for us, sorted out the ferry and drove us around the island. Was such a good idea as we didn’t have to worry about one of us missing out on the wines or paying far too much in taxis over there! I don’t know why we had never done this before. John was so knowledgeable about the island too which was an added experience. We all loved it and are already planning our next trip with him.

Highly recommended tour!! The great day started in Hamilton. John drove us to Auckland, ferry to Waiheke and back. He took us to 3 amazing wineries, to a beautiful restaurant for lunch and to a fancy olive oil shop (recommended too!). He’s so passionate about

Great day out John picked us up from Hamilton to take us on a girls trip around the wineries on waiheke. We had an amazing day out down to John picking a range of very different wineries and his extensive knowledge about them and the island. He is extremely passionate about what he does and it definitely shows in your experience. Thank you for a great day, we are already looking forward to planning our next one!

Excellent Experience I absolutely loved this experience, John is such a passionate person when it comes to wine, he is so knowledgeable and makes it really interesting for everyone. The wineries that we visited were stunning and the wine was great. The tour experience was so much fun and we got to know few fun facts about the Island! I absolutely recommend this experience. Thank you John for sharing your passion with us.

Girls getaway What an exceptional day!!! John is absolutely amazing and showed us the best of what the island has to offer! He is very friendly and extremely thoughtful. Such a great girls trip. Beautiful wineries, food, beaches and photos. Highly reccomend!!!!

Spectacular! John kindly took us on a wine tour and was very inclusive as I wanted to take my 14-year-old disabled daughter with me. He helped me with the wheelchair and was amazing with engaging with my daughter as well as making the tour for me a very special event. His knowledge of wine and the local areas is outstanding. He even took us to the Gannet colony hoping that my daughter would enjoy it too and he smashed it! It is always very hard being able to go places with a disabled child and he made me feel completely relaxed. Thanks John for an epic tour!

Wonderful wine tour What a first class wine tour. John is a passionate professional who insists on consistency from the vineyards visited. I would highly recommend John’s services to anyone who want’s to learn and enjoy wine.

Auckland Wine Tour John, the guide is great guy for wine tour,he knows what he talks about not like cowboys.I highly recommend this wine tour company 👍

muriwai scenic wine tour A wonderful trip. John was very genial and very knowledgable. The wine was delicious and we bought a number of bottles.

Muriwai Scenic Wine Tour During our post cruise stay in Auckland my wife and I took John’s 4-hour Muriwai Scenic Wine Tour, it was excellent! John picked us up from our hotel and we headed to the country side. Both wineries visited were a lot of fun with a very nice selection of wines to taste. John’s very personable and knows his wine. It was fun just asking him questions. We also stopped at a sea bird rookery on the west coast that was very interesting and scenic. If you want to see the countryside around Auckland this was a very good option. I highly recommend it, you won’t be disappointed.

Really informative & enjoyable This tour with John was really great. He is so knowledgeable about New Zealand and as it was our first day in NZ it was good to get out and about and visit the outskirts of Auckland. John picked us up at our hotel in his people mover & we then picked up another couple from the US. Visited a couple of wineries, the gannet colony & black sand beach. What was supposed to be a 4 hour tour lasted about five and a half hours but John was in no hurry to get rid of us. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and would highly recommend it.

Tour of Piha Karekare and wine tasting John was a brilliant guide for the day. He took us to some fabulous wineries and the rainforest and its surroundings were breathtaking. Would definitely book another tour if we ever get to go to NZ again. Thanks John. Lovely memories of a fantastic day.

“Matakana Scenic Coastal Getaway Tour" This was a great way to see the countryside out of the city of Auckland. Great stops at local Cheese, wine and chocolate shops, along with some of the key outdoor sites. John is an excellent guide for this trip.

Don't Miss This Tour What a great experience. John picked us up at the hotel and gave us a great tour of Muriwai Vineyards and pointed out lots of interesting places along the way. He was personable, knowledgeable and a great raconteur. Highly recommended.

Awesome wine tour Our guide was engaging and knowledgeable. He had to adjust the tour because one of the roads had been closed. We ended up having a lovely visit to Piha.

Owner-led day trip John was an amazing guide. This is John’s company so your are in great hands and his energy is infectious. There was a small glitch when one of the roads washed out but John quickly adapted and we were kept totally on time. The black sand beach walk at Piha was an exquisite natural addition to this tour. The wineries were beautiful; there were only 4 of us so all our questions were answered. Lunch was delicious. And we were brought to our hotels right on time.

Fantastic!! John was a fantastic tour guide. He was well-informed, articulate and very knowledgeable not only on the topics at hand, he was also a very well versed conversationalist. He made the tour and drive time very easy to pass. The 3 wineries we visited were all spectacular in their own rights and I ended up buying wines from 2 of them. Lunch at Soljan's on their covered patio was superb. Nothing but high praise for the meal and the entire tour. Would highly recommend John to anyone, whether you're a self proclaimed wine afficianatio or a newbie with wines (like me!). Thank you John for a fantastic day!! If you're travelling solo, give John a call or e-mail as TripAdvisor doesn't let you book for one.

Great day. Can’t say enough good things about John and the tour.Great wineries. Great scenery. Great conversation. Wonderful education. (You would pay more just for a set down wine discussion with an expert like John anywhere else).Tour hits on all cylinders......great use of a day in Aukland.Don’t hesitate.....just enjoy.

Fabulous wine tasting experience John was a fabulous tour operator. He was punctual and the transport was comfortable. It was also a pleasure chatting with John and he offered many helpful suggestions for our remaining time in Auckland. It was clear that John chose wineries meant to provide the best experience to clients. We loved the honey tasting and stop at the black sand beach to see the gannets to mix up the day. We would highly recommend NZWinePro and loved the specific tour we chose.

A wonderful day with great tour guide This was a great day of Wine Knowledge, beautiful sights, great food and wine. John was a wealth of information not only about the wines but also about New Zealand. We took the Matakana Scenic Coastal Getaway Tour and it was a great way to spend the day. We tasted 3 wineries which were really nice and good wines, the vehicle was confortable and John's narrative was splendid. Highly recommended.

Just what we wanted John is clearly passionate about his work. He is organized, prompt, interesting to talk to on a variety of subjects including, but not limited to New Zealand history, flora and fauna, and modern New Zealand. His topic about which he’s most passionate is definitely winemaking. Although we spent time in a van going from place to place he breaks it down into small manageable trips from one place to another so that we were never in the van for too long. He kept the group organized and on time. He clearly has good relationships with the people who run the vineyards as they were always ready and prepared for us. A final amazing bonus was the fact that he took us to our hotel from last night and allowed us to get our luggage and then took us to our new hotel which was not that far away (as the crow flies) but up and down multiple steep hills. We cannot thank him enough for that after a day of beach and sand and wine!

Piha and Karekare wine tour John went over and above to make our day the absolute best!! We visited so many different black sand beaches with stunning views. Fabulous lunch and 3 wineries. He is so much more than a driver and guide. He is knowledgeable on every subject we brought up. Well read!

Informative & Fun Four of us booked this great day trip with John, owner and guide of NZWINEPRO. He provided interesting commentary as we traveled the countryside & answered our many questions about life in NZ. The wines sampled were excellent and lunch delicious. The cheese venue was closed so John bought local cheeses and bread at a small shop and we had a beachside picnic. On the way back to the hotel we asked where to buy Manuka Honey and John went out of the way to take us to a market to purchase it at a reasonable price. He gave us a “heads up” on custom requirements for taking bee products into Australia, our next destination. All in all it was a terrific day and we highly recommend this tour to all who enjoy wine, cheese, scenery and good company!

Unbelievable experience, an absolute must do! I went on the Piha, Karekare Rainforest Winetour. We started tasting wines at Babich Wines which was superb with 8 wines in all to sample. I was with another 3 travellers and our guide John was very knowledgable about New Zealand, its culture and economy and History. He was able to make wine easy for me to understand. Then we went to the beautiful seaside settlement of Piha. It was a fine day and the Tasman Sea looked incredible. Then we drove to see the Karekare Waterfall, it was so pretty and we even saw a native eel in the stream.Lunch was delicious and our final stop at West Brook Wines topped of an unforgetable day.I definitely recommend NZWINEPRO, and really enjoyed my tour.

NZWINEPRO/John McFarlane Bill and I (Fern) would like extend a very special "Thank You" for the wonderful tour of the wine country, lunch, as well as other special locations around the North island. The taste of the cheeses were very special as was the beauty of the class factory, not to mention the old growth enormous trees.A special addition to the trip was your extensive knowledge and obvious pride in your home country.We would not hesitate to recommend your company to anyone interested in seeing the special sights and tastes of New Zealand.SincerelyBill and Fern Reed

Fabulous cheese, wine and chocolate plus a whole lot more. The Matakana Scenic Coastal Getaway was fabulous. My husband and I did a lot of tours while in Australia and New Zealand and this was by far the best. We visited a cheese factory where we tasted fabulous cheese then wine tasting and lunch at a cute boutique winery. Then on to another winery for more tasting then wrapped up with chocolate tasting at a chocolate shop. The lunch at Plume at the Runner Duck Estate Winery was one of the best meals we have had our whole trip. This trip was laced with side trips to see awesome beaches and scenery. John, the driver, guide, owner was a wealth of info about wine, the area and the culture.

Winery Visits & Great Scenery! David took us on a wonderful trip through the NZ countryside to 2 great wineries. We tasted fantastic wines at each & learned from the pros as well as David! I highly recommend this tour. The black sand beaches were beautiful as well.

A great day out John was fantastic, he really knows his wines and took us to some lovely wineries followed by a visit to a beautiful beach. We had an awesome day, highly recommend.

Must Do !!! What an amazing day!! John McFarlane picked the 4 of us from our Ship and took us on an all day adventure to the North of beautiful Auckland to Wine Country, expansive Beaches,flora and fauna only found in NZ.Oh, did we mention the Wineries! We had intimate Wine Tasting with the Owners of 3 Wineries as well as an exceptional lunch at Plume Vineyard. Thank you Frieda for your hospitality!John, you truly an exceptional Guide and we look forward to touring with you again.

Favorite excursion booked on our New Zealand cruise! We enjoyed everything about our day with John, the scenery, the cheese, chocolate, wine tasting, the fabulous lunch and the great conversation. Highly recommend this tour!

Great Murawai Scenic Wine Tour We traveled from US to New Zealand for a two-week cruise. We came a couple of days early and booked this tour with John. He picked the four of us promptly outside our hotel and gave us a brief tour of the city and we walked up to Mt. Eden. Then off to see the birds! The gannet colony was such a thrill. The setting is absolutely gorgeous and the birds and their young chicks were everywhere. John is very knowledgeable about New Zealand in general and happy to answer silly questions. He is very personable and wants everyone to have a good time. We then visited two wineries, both in beautiful setting with tasty wines and friendly hosts. We enjoyed both immensely. Overall, we all had a great day, and I would highly recommend this trip to cruise passengers looking for excursions that are far superior to anything the ships offer.

A brilliant day out! A great day out. John is an excellent and knowledgeable wine guide, with lots of local information on the tour as well as great rapport with the three vineyards we visited, ensuring an attentive and friendly reception for the tastings. Great lunch at Villa Maria, then on to the scenic Westbrook vineyard. The gannet colony at the black sands beaches of Muriwai were amazing! Never seen so many birds so close up. Finally Coopers Creek, another select vineyard, before returning to Auckland.

Best Wine Tour John McFarlane's tours, we took two during our stay in Auckland, were amazing. His knowledge of the area and pleasant manner make his company's tours a must-do when you in Auckland. The three of highly recommend NZWINEPRO.

Awesome We already made this tour once with John, on november 2018, we're going to do it again ( without our girls) in february 2020. Do it, it's the best ever, the nature is enlightening, the wines are awesome and John is so kind. Best regards from Tahiti, french Polynesia.

An absolute MUST John and Barbara made this experience absolutely amazing. This was one of trh first things I experienced after landing in NZ. The wine tastings are incredible, I had the best rose in my life, as well as the best lunch at the restaurant we went to. Kare kare is incredibly beautiful, and the beach we visited was as well. Our tour guides were incredible and made the experience personal and amazing. Would highly recommend!

Wine your/black sands Wonderful host and tour. Very personable, knowledgeable and friendly. Would totally recommend for my wine connoisseurs!

Relaxing, Amazing and Beautiful John picked us up from right outside out cruise ship right on time. It was a nice little group as there was only us and two other people (and NO children - which was nice to have that sort of break). He was very knowledgeable and was happy to answer our questions regardless of the topic (mostly nothing to do with wine). Both Wineries were great and the scenery and Gannet colony breath taking. John even stopped for us at a fruit shop so my husband could buy a kiwi fruit to eat in New Zealand being that he doesn't like wine (he came for the scenery and the no kids - 4 of us in a little cabin for nearly two weeks we needed that break). Highly recommend this tour.

Fun times! My family and I thoroughly enjoyed this tour. John was a great tour guide and fun to hang out with!He is extremely knowledgeable in all things New Zealand....and wine!Highly recommend this tour.😀

Amazing and Brilliant Wine Tour John was an absolutely wonderful and brilliant tour guide. His knowledge of wine, and indeed the wider world, really adds to the overall tour experience. Five stars. Thanks, John.

Informative Tour of Wine Country and other sites John is an information junkie. Base on his vast knowledge of not only wine making in NZ, but lots of other facts about NZ in general and the world, the trip became very enjoyable for us!The van was full - a family of 6 from Mexico, a Chinese girl from Microsoft, Redmonds, and a couple (newly married?) from Boston - were our co-passengers.The first winery - Babich - took us through some of the suburbs of Auckland. John gave a great running commentary on what the area was like earlier. It included information on the devastating earthquake(s) in Christchurch, and how the migration to and from South Island changed the area. Babich is in a bit remote location in the Henderson Valley - so not many tourists make it to the tasting room. So our group had exclusive attention of the winery. We saw a video on the history of the Babich (and learnt how Croatian expats established many of NZ wineries - it was of special interest since we had just visited Croatia in September 2019.After this we traveled through the rain forest to Piha beach. We say this wonderful black sand beach from two different spots. A scenic lookout spot on the road reminded us of Waipio lookout on Big Island in Hawaii (where we were in late November 2019). The lion's head rock looked also like the rock in Morro Bay, California.At Piha, John made an adjustment to the tour after asking for consensus. Instead of the waterfall, we were to visit the bird sanctuary in Muriwai Beach, rather than the waterfalls! It was one of the best decisions!We drove through sheep farming land to Soljans in Kumeu wine district, another Croatian family owned winery. (I had heard of Babich in California, but not Soljans) This was our lunch stop. We did some wine tasting first before sitting down to a very good lunch - which also offered another full pour of wine.After lunch we drove to Muriwai beach. This was SPECTACULAR! Gannets from Australia summer here to hatch and raise chicks. There were thousands of them, and visitors could get very close to watch both parents raising the chicks. One of the best experiences for our NZ stay. Thanks John for making this change.Our final stop was Westbrook winery in Helensville. The grounds are spectacular, but what was most amazing was the descriptions of their wines! The copy writer should consider writing romantic novels, a la Mills and Boon! Such swooning descriptions must have quite an imaginative brain behind it.Thanks John for a fabulous tour.

Villa Maria wine tour An excellent experience delivered by a knowledgeable and professional guide. John went out of his way to make sure we learnt and enjoyed our afternoon.

Wine tasting John collected us from our hotel and joined us for our Villa Maria tour. He is a very knowledgeable person about wine, the industry and the area. On our way back he took us through parts of Auckland we didn't know existed and talked so interestingly about the history of the country and the Auckland area.A thoroughly interesting afternoon trip which we would highly recommend.

A great day with wine, beaches and rainforest My wife and I decided rather spontaneously to book a wine tour with John after coming into Auckland a couple of days earlier than planned. And what can I say it completely exceeded our expectations. John is great in what he is doing- fun and very knowledgeable not only in wine but also NZ history, the local wildlife and nature and we enjoyed every minute of the tour. The wineries we visited were amazing and John made sure we also got to see Piha and Muriwai on our trip. Highly recommend!

MUST DO tour of Auckland! We decided rather last minute after seeing a brochure for this tour, to call John and book a trip. We are so happy we decided to do so! From start to finish the day was absolutely perfect. Every winery was beautiful and the variety of wines was fabulous. John made sure we were able to see the beauty of New Zealand and have plenty of time to take pictures. Our lunch stop had excellent menu choices and the food was divine. John really knows his wine and was a plethora of information about New Zealand in general. We came back from the day happy, more knowledgeable of wine and New Zealand, and wanting to go on another tour with John again. We highly recommend any and all tours with John - it really was the highlight of our time in Auckland!

Inspirational, fun and our BEST DAY EVER We had a SUPERLATIVE day on the Matakana Scenic Coastal Getaway Auckland. John was enthusiastic, informative, very caring and imbued the entire day with adventure and fun. The entire tour was paced to our needs and particular interests, we visited just one winery (Brick Bay) instead of three, and instead visited a famous potter's studio, a wonderful kiwi/bird preserve, and had a short but glorious walk on the sand. I over-bought ten or so cheeses at the Puhoi Cheese Factory, and ...behold! John had an actual little mini fridge in his trunk!!! The cheeses all arrived safely in Hawaii, through customs, and we got to enjoy the taste of Auckland back home with friends! How wonderful is that? I want to add that John's driving is superb; he is a smooth and fast driver, I felt absolutely safe! And the volume of information he gave us on all manner of history, geography, economy of Auckland made his tour A+++. Our gourmet lunch was at a lotus pond in a sculpture garden! The winery even had a beautiful olive grove. Have I mentioned he is an expert warbler too? Bird calls and whistles! We even saw a beautiful wild turkey on the roadside. We did all the things and places promised on the brochure (and more) with pizzaz and efficiency and with engaging humor. We absolutely loved this tour, and John's expert and professional services.

Great Experience We chose to go to Villa Maria winery with Winepro prior to our afternoon flight from Auckland. What a good choice! We were collected promptly from our hotel and driven in comfort to the winery, and purchased an excellent coffee from the cafe. Then it was time for the tour. We were guided by an extremely knowledgeable emloyee who was able to answer all our questions. We've been on many winery tours, and this was one of the best. After our tour John had arranged a private tasting where we had some of the Villa Maria reserve wines. Delicious! John then drove us to the nearby airport in plenty of time to catch out flight back to Australia. John has extensive experience in the wine industry and his commentary was very interesting. I would recommend this tour for anyone interested in wine, who has a morning to spare before their flight.

Best wine tour of all time! More than just a wine tour. Doesn't matter if you have limited knowledge of wine or are a wine connoisseur, John has the ability to relate to all types. Not only does John have great knowledge and relationship with local wine producers, but he also has an obvious love and respect for the local area and food producers. Thanks John for making me and my brothers tour a great experience.

Incredible Afternoon Booking this tour with John made our afternoon most memorable. A great host with so much knowledge and a very pleasant personality. We were welcomed at two wineries and the grommets were very interesting. I read all reviews before booking this tour and was not disappointed. John really gave us a personal experience in Auckland that we will not forget.

素晴らしい一日😊 母との二人� で選んだツアーです。スタートが午前１０時にホテルのロビー� ち合わせと早すぎないのも良かったです。ガイドのJohnさんは気さくで優しく勿論ワインの知識は豊富だしその他ニュージーランドにまつわる色� な事を話して貰えます。訪れるワイナリーのワインは日本での販路は現状ない様でしたから気に� �った物が見つかったらその場での購� �お薦めします。ワイナリーでの昼食もメニューから好きなメインを選べとても美味しかったです。どのワイナリー、ショップのスタッフさんも感じの良い方ばかりです。チーズ、ワイン、チョコレート、どれも美味しくついつい買いすぎてしまいました。またオークランドに来る機会があればこのツアーに参加したいです。余談ですがJohnさんに教えてもらったダウンタウンのレストラン、美味しくて5日の滞在中2度夕食に訪ねました。グルメ� 報も豊富なJohnさんです。 Thank-you so much John-san, I hope to join to the tour again someday, I'll be back😉　See you again😊 Chinatsu 　

The name says it all! With the wide variety of wine tours available to choose from, I am thrilled that I selected NZ Winepro. John was professional and courteous. His knowledge of wines, New Zealand history and culture was both informative and educational. Thank you for this unique experience!

Best Idea Ever!!! I can't imagine a better way to start or end your journey than with NZ Wine Pro! What a fun idea - an airport transfer wine tasting?!?! Genius. I had so much fun with John and can't wait to do it again. I'll be telling everyone I know that it's can't miss when in Auckland!

Excellent Wine Tour! Highly Recommend!! This was one of our favorites tours in our 2-week NZ trip. John was punctual, highly knowledgeable, easy to communicate with, and very professional. He chose some of the best wineries we have been to in NZ as we did wine tastings on both north and South Island, our favorite being Villa Maria. John is very passionate in what he does and goes above and beyond in sharing his knowledge not only about the wine, but also about the NZ history, culture & economy. On this tour it was just me and my family, four of us in total and no one else so it felt like a private/personal tour. We ended up doing the honey & black sand beach tour where we went to 3 different wineries, ate an exceptional lunch at Villa Maria, visited a gannet colony at a black sand beach, and sampled about 5-6 different honey. John did have the honey jars at hand and we just sampled it at one of the wineries. This did not bother us at all, but just letting others know in case they had expectations of going to an actual honey store or boutique. I am so glad that I chose NZ WinePro and would highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking of doing a wine tour near Auckland! Thank you, John for all you have done! You have exceeded my expectations and I would certainly do another tour of yours if I was to visit NZ again!

wine tour We had a fantastic day. we learnt a lot about the history of in the region. we tried many wine ad purchaced a few! We also visited some beautiful places which we would never have found on our own. I would recomend this trip to any wine lover.

Best wine tour in town John was very knowledgeable when it comes to wine. I really enjoyed this trip, extremely polite and explained everything in details. I would recommend his wine tour if you are in Auckland.

Great guide beautiful scenery John McFarlane was an outstanding guide. He made sure to take us to the best wineries and the most beautiful scenic spots. We initially took one tour with him and he was so amazing that we booked him for another tour. John was very receptive to our interests and tailored the tour and lunch accordingly. Would highly recommend him and will definitely book him again next time we are in New Zealand.

Outstanding In was such a pleasant experience, I’d recommend 100 percent. Both wine and nature combined can never go wrong.

Fantastic day out We both enjoyed a brilliant day touring with John who's knowledge of wines the wineries and local area is outstanding. All 3 wineries visited are exceptional in the wines offered for tasting and staff friendliness. We had lunch at Villa Maria winery which was excellent. The visit to the Gannet colony was a bonus. This tour is certainly value for money and recommend this tour to any one wishing to taste excellent wine and food and be guided by a knowledgeable guide in John.

Muriwai Beach Wine Tours John was the best guide ever. I would highly recommend. Very knowledgeable about all aspects of New Zealand and the wine industry and extremely friendly and accommodating. Flexible also and will make sure he caters to what you would like the day to look like. We visited two wineries as well as Mount Eden. Best wine tour I've been on! Thanks John!

Highly Recommend My sister and I thoroughly enjoyed this tour. John had a lot of knowledge to share about wine and NZ in general. It was a great way to get outside of Auckland to visit some of the west coast beaches and try fantastic local wines. One of the best days of our trip!

Introduction to New Zealand Wines We spent a wonderful day at starting at Babich winery followed by the stop at the Piha beach. It was not a sunny day but it gave the beach a different vibe. Nothing beats the sound of waves IMO. Our Guide John is very knowledgeable about NZ wines so he gave us great insight. When we travel, we like to learn about the host country’s culture and we truly enjoyed conversing with John about everything NZ. He patiently answered all our questions. We visited two more wineries and then made a last minute change to our trip and visited the Gannet colony at the Muriwai Beach. Loved it! Definitely recommend a tour with John for those who want to sample some delicious NZ wine and experience the black sand beaches

Amazing tour and day I had such an amazing day. The tour included so much of New Zealand and John had so much knowledge about the culture and everywhere we went. I got to go to 3 beaches, 2 wine vineyards with wine tasting, hike through a rainforest, see a beautiful waterfall, birds in their natural habitat during mating season, beautiful views, a crater that looks over Auckland, and had an amazing lunch. John is so fun and has such a wonderful personality. This is a tour everyone needs to do.

Best tour of our weekend Our half day wine tour with John was a fantastic experience. John was extremely knowledgeable and fun we went to three wineries and had a beautiful lunch. My wife said it was the best part of her 50th birthday weekend. Can’t wait for my coopers creek reds to arrive.

Amazing day and tour John picked me up and I had an amazing day. He had so much knowledge about the culture and everywhere we went. I went to 3 beaches, 2 wine vineyards with wine tasting, went on a hike through a rainforest, saw a beautiful waterfall, saw birds in their natural habitat during mating season, and went to an amazing lunch. John has such an amazing personality and is so fun to be around. Everyone needs to do this.

Excellant small group tour Very pleased John was able to run the tour. It was a sunday in August (winter) but the popularity of Johns tours is well known. Great visit to three vinyards with lunch and a trip to the coast thrown in too.

Fun day! My husband and I went on the tour yesterday with John. We had a wonderful time. On a Monday in the winter it was just the two of us. John is so passionate about NZ and wine - it was great to learn more about this beautiful country. We went to 3 wineries and were able to sample a lot of different wines while also learning the stories around the start and growth of the NZ wine industry - very cool. John shared the beauty of the island with stops in Piha and at a waterfall in the rain forest - stunning. We also had a yummy lunch at a local brewery - and added bonus of sampling some of their beers. All in all a wonderful day seeing the sights, sampling wine and learning about NZ all hosted by John who is great. Definitely recommend!

Fantastic experience. John was a terrific guide. He was on time and accomidating to our group. Two people dropped at the airport, and two returning to Auckland. He was so informative about wine and what makes NZ wines so special. This is a great way to spend a few hours before a flight. Highly recommend.

Always the best It is out second time joining John's winery trip. In the morning John took us to Villa Maria, NZ's most reputable winery. We had a decent lunch over there, which really set the benchmark high.The afternoon trip came with 3 wineries and black sand beach visiting. Wonderful!The best of John's trip I think is flexibility. John always picked up the best wineries for us. If you wish to take a similar trip do not miss NZ Wine Pro.

Fabulous host and guide My wife and I enjoyed a great day with David touring wineries, beaches and waterfalls. It was clear that David gives deep thought into the tours he provides and ensuring that his guests have a fabulous experience. Over the course of the day our conversations covered a broad array of issues ranging from not only David’s great knowledge of wine/wine industry, but also economics, education, Maori culture, tourism, sailing etc. This provided us with insights into New Zealand that we would not have appreciated in our short stay. While I’m sure there are others who offer tours to similar places, it was David that made the tour so much more enjoyable. It felt like a great long time friend taking you on a personal tour of their favourite places.

Amazing company, sights, and wine!!! John has worked very hard to start and run this tour business out of the passions he has for NZ wine! He's got personal relationships with the wineries and has lots of information on the sights to take you to. The wine was amazing and spending the day with John was beautiful! He also provides guidance through the city and provides you with a map he has made. He cares about your experience! A must-do in Auckland.

Sanjeev Good info enjoyed lot John has given good information of New Zealand and wine making and it's details

Great day even with horrible weather! This tour was great! Knew what to do when the weather didn’t cooperate (the power was out at certain wineries). Really friendly and informative on even more than just Auckland. Would recommend to everyone!

Favorite day while we were in New Zealand! My friend and I spent 5 days in New Zealand, and the day we spent on the wine tour was easily each our favorite day. If you are in Auckland, you HAVE to choose a wine tour with John. He knows all the best places to take pictures, history and current events of the island and its cuisine, and is a wonderful and personable tour guide. Thank you, NZWINEPRO!

Amazing wine tour with an amazing and funny wine dude connaisseur!! This is the best wine tour I have ever had. John knows his stuff and is quite good at imparting his wisdom to his clients! All the wineries we visited were wonderful. John adds extra bonuses such as stopping by a cheese shop and chocolate shop. We happen to be lucky enough to have the cheese master provide a quick blurb on his products and processes...and do a taste test. YUMMERS!!I highly recommend this tour with John. I have not taken this tour with other guides so can not comment on that. Try to get John as your guide. You won't regret it !

A great day with wine and fantastic scenery We thoroughly enjoyed our day. We got to try some great wines (and purchase perhaps a bit more than we planned) and see some great scenery around Auckland. John is extremely knowledgeable, not only about wine, but also about the history of the country. We truly learned a lot. Would highly recommend this tour to anyone. Ingvild and Magne from Norway

ヴィラマリア のワイナリーとワンランク上の試飲を満喫！ 日本でもよく見かけるようになった、ニュージーランドのワイン「ヴィラ・マリア（Villa Maria）」。オークランドでワイナリー見学ができると知り、試飲を満喫することを考えて、往復送迎と試飲� 容も� 実している、こちらの英語ツアーに参加しました。この日は私たちだけの参加でプライベートツアーとなりました。ガイド� �ドライバーのJohnさんは、とても気さくな方で、現地ワイナリースタッフの方の解説に加えて、より詳しくヴィラ・マリアのことを教えてくださいました。また、試飲もランクの高いものを堪能しつつ、購� �もできるので、満足感と安心感がありました。参加したのが夫婦2人だけだったこともあり、早めに見学や試飲が終了しましたが、宿に戻る前に、マウント・イーデン (Mt. Eden）にサービスで立ち寄ってくださいました。行ったことがなかったので、今回の� の想い出のひとつになりました。英語ツアーなので、ヒアリングとスピーキングはできた方がより楽しめますが、片言英語でも、Johnさんは親切ですし、ワイナリー� では、英語ビデオなどもありますが、雰囲気を楽しめると思います。ヴィラ・マリア ワイナリーのステキな葡萄畑と美味しい試飲はおススメです！（オークランド空港でのピックアップや、ワイナリー見学後の空港送りもして下さるそうなので、� 程の隙間にも組み込めそうです）

Great tour, great hospitality and beautiful sights! We had such an amazing time on this tour with John. We went on the Piha Karekare rain forest wine tour, and it exceeded all of our expectations. We stopped by three different wineries and a lunch, and were blessed with some beautiful weather. John really knows his wine! We learned so much about the New Zealand culture and climate along the way. What really sets this tour above and beyond is the beautiful scenery. John knows all the best stops to visit between wine tastings! We got to see a huge waterfall, reflective black sand beaches, a rain forest and some great views of some of the small towns in the North Island. We were on our honeymoon, and the best pictures we got of the two of us from our entire trip were taken by John. He's thoughtful, knowledgeable and charismatic, and I couldn't recommend this tour more!

Best tour we have ever been on! From start to finish this tour was incredible. John our tour guide went above and beyond to make this tour a great one. The car we took was very nice and clean. The conversation and knowledge of New Zealand from John was so interesting to learn about. We made stops along the way for beautiful photos. The lunch we had was not your ordinary tour lunch, this was a beautiful winery with absolutely amazing food, large portions, everything included in the price paid for the tour. We stopped at different wineries to try different wines all with details on where and how it was made. We were able to go out into the fields and see and taste the grapes used. We have been on many tours over the past 6 years and this was hands down the best tour we have ever taken and one we are still talking about 2 months later. We even made an extra stop on our way back to Auckland to see Mt. Eden which we were saying we wanted to see while we were in Auckland. John is a great guy, full of knowledge and gets so much into just 8 hours, it is really amazing. You really touch on all areas on this tour - from the beach, to the waterfall in the rainforest, and the wineries. This is a MUST DO when staying in Auckland!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND! Thank you John for an incredible day!

A Fabulous Wine Tour When you take the Muriwai Scenic Wine Tour, John will pick you up at your hotel and whisk you off away from the city on a beautiful drive. His van is small (there were only 4 of us on this particular tour), so you can engage in meaningful conversation about anything, really. Mostly, New Zealand. John is quite knowledgeable about New Zealand’s history and current events, so this is a great tour, not just for wine lovers, but for anyone who wants to see the lovely landscape outside of Auckland and learn more about the country, itself. We drove through beautiful rolling hills with sheep and cows grazing, while John answered questions and shared interesting information about the New Zealand people, the economy, and really anything that came up in the conversation. The other two people on the tour were Canadians and it was interesting that John was very knowledgeable about Canada and the United States, as well. After driving for a while, we reached the seashore and John stopped so we could stretch our legs and take pictures. The shoreline is stunning and apparently good for surfing, as we saw many surfers in the water. We drove on and reached Cooper’s Creek, our first winery. I loved Cooper’s Creek! The tasting room is what I’d call rustic chic. It’s small and feels intimate and comfortable. The man pouring for us was extremely knowledgeable and I can’t be sure, but I think he may have actually been Cooper of Cooper’s Creek. I’m not a wine connoisseur, so I can’t say much about the wine, except that I liked it. I recall a really good Malbec and an Albarino (which I had never heard of, but was delicious). Next, we went to West Brook Winery. It had a very different ambiance from Cooper’s Creek; the grounds were much larger and just lovely. Absolutely beautiful even on a drizzly, overcast day. It’s the kind of place you’d choose for your daughter’s wedding. The tasting room had the same intimate, cozy feel as Cooper’s Creek, but the design was a bit more modern. Still, very comfortable with a friendly pourer. (I’m sorry I’ve forgotten her name, but she was knowledgeable, friendly and a lot of fun.) I had a very interesting Riesling there; 2014 – aged in the bottle, which caused it to have a mineral nose, but it doesn’t have a mineral taste. Very good! While we were in these tasting rooms, I noticed that John is also a wine expert. He seemed to know as much or more about wine as those in the tasting rooms. Also, he has a wonderful rapport with them, which made for an enjoyable afternoon. I sometimes visit Los Olivos wineries (near Santa Barbara, California) with friends and family and have to say that being in the NZ tasting rooms with John and those pouring had that same feeling – a good time all around. If you’re in Auckland, New Zealand, you’ve got to take one of the NZ Winepro tours. I learned a lot and absolutely had the best time!

You won't regret picking John There were 3 of us on the Matakana Coastal Getaway tour, including my wife and I. We had limited time in Auckland and wanted to enjoy some sightseeing away from the city and also do some wine tasting. This tour was a great choice. Had a fantastic day with good weather. Sights were wonderful, wineries were very good, La Plume restaurant was delish (get the rack of lamb), and John's company was terrific.John is the quintessential guide, full of passion about his country; highly knowledgeable about the wine industry; very personable, polite and charming; and just an all around fun guy to hang with. Plus, he'll make changes on the fly if needed and is totally flexible. If we return to Auckland, he will be one of my first emails as we'd love to do another of his tours.

Amazing! John was a phenomenal tour guide! He was so nice and made for nice conversations on the way to different places. The wineries were amazing, so he has good taste in wines and the views were just as spectacular! He bottled up some black sand from the beach and gave each of us one then even took us to Mount Eden since we had never been to the top before. If you’re looking for a wine tour that has extremely beautiful views and a tour guide that is as nice as he was, this is the tour you’re looking for!

Thanks for a fantastic day of tasting John! We were fortunate enough to have John as our private guide on a wine tour in March. We visited Coopers Creek Vineyard (excellent wine!) and West Brook Wines. To extend our day, we picked up a great picnic bag lunch from West Brook which had all the fixings. John was informative and very knowledgeable - great to share a day of wine tasting in such enjoyable company.

Fabulous wine tour 🍷. One of the best ever! John was the most awesome tour guide! He is so knowledgeable about the wineries and the area. I strongly recommend him and his tour. We had a fabulous tour and would definitely use him again!

Auckland Wine Tour So much more than wineries John provided background on the development of the wineries in New Zealand. We traveled to black sand beaches and a hidden waterfall.John was informative and insightful with explaining the history of New Zealand and its people and as a bonus we had a delightful and delicious lunch.

Piha & Karekare Rainforest Wine Tour My wife and I were in Auckland celebrating our honeymoon and were SO lucky to have booked John two weeks prior for a full-day private wine tour! As it turned out, we were the only two who had booked for the full day, and we had an amazing time with John as our guide. He is so informative, entertaining, and knowledgeable - we’d like to say it was the best guided tour we’ve ever had! John made not only our honeymoon, but our entire wine tasting trip so special. His insights on winemaking and tasting are on point, for all different types of wine lovers, experienced or not. He goes well above and beyond to give his guests the best possible time, sparing nothing (he’s even an amazing photographer). Only downside is that now every wine tasting tour we embark on in the future will be held to SUCH a high standard... Thank you for everything John, we will be booking again - hopefully in Queenstown next time! Santé!

Fantastic time and tour Highly recommend the tour and John the Tour guide/owner. So knowledgeable and friendly. Toured and sampled wines from 3 wineries saw epic beauty of the Tasmin Sea, saw the rainforest and waterfall, fantastic menu for lunch, and John is so friendly.

Excellent tour As it turned out, my wife and myself were the only people on the store. John was an amazing tour guide, very knowledgeable and personable. The 3 wineries were excellent with very pleasant staff. We ate lunch at one of the wineries and the food was very good. The landscape and was beautiful. We would clearly recommend this to anybody thinking of a local tour when visiting Auckland.

Outstanding Tour. Remarkable Tour Guide This tour is very special. John is outstanding. He is extremely well organized, allows just the right time so that you can stay on schedule yet enjoy each site and don't feel rushed. He is extremely knowledge on wines as he has worked in the industry all his life. His insights into the economy ,history and culture of this wonderful country of New Zealand are an added plus in addition to beautiful scenery and the wineries. An experience not to be missed!

Go with John! We had a wonderful tour with John. He picked us up in the CBD and drove us and another couple in his big silver bus. Through this tour we had an intimate tasting with a winemaker, a lovely lunch (and more wine), and visited a beautiful vineyard owned by a multi-generational family (with more wine). The wine was wonderful, but it was the other details of the tour that really made it memorable. John took us to see the gannets and the black sand beaches, while giving us the scoop on local NZ knowledge. We did his tour on our 2nd full day (we stayed 7 days total) and he also gave us great tips on things to see in Auckland for later in our stay. John was a great guide, as I felt like he really cared about our comfort and experience throughout the day. He is a great driver and got us back on time. Thanks John!

Great Day Out We had limited time in Auckland but I can't think of a better half day tour than one with John. He tailored the tour to meet our schedule and interests. We were the only ones on the tour and it felt like a day out with an old friend. John is extremely knowledgeable and good fun. Highly recommended

New Zealand wines Great trip to taste wines with our guide John, whose knowledge of the industry gives you a insight into the wines of the area. He is enthusiastic, both about wine and the area we visited. It is complimented with lunch, and a 4th winery was added to the tour - would recommend as you learn a lot about wine and the country. It really enhanced our trip from the UK.

Our new BFF How lucky we were, having taken a "pass" on Viking's cattle-call trip to wineries and opted to be part of John's small group (6 people in all) that spent the day touring the best of beaches, stores, rain forests, and Croatian wineries. By the end of the day, we felt we made new friends with our traveling companions and John was the perfect host the entire time.John did it all: served as impromptu photographer, informative narrator on Auckland's history, politics, changes, all the while dispensed intimate knowledge of the area that only a true "local" could know. If we only had one full day in Auckland (and we did have only one full day), we were so fortunate to hook up with John. John was responsible for creating memories that we will carry with us for a lifetime.And, our highlights were: visiting Piha's black sand beach, stopping at funky little Piha Store, trapsing through a rain forest to the Karekare Falls, stopping at 3 first-class wineries (one of which was our elegant "anything-on-the-menu" luncheon, and hearing the local stories from this true-blue local.John gave us a brief bio on his experience; everything he's ever done has honed his skills, ability, knowledge on being a first-class host, winery expert, plant and animal conservator, business entrepeneur, and everything a skill set would need to make us all feel so special. He is one of a kind. John delivered on a first-class adventure. Any future visits to Auckland will certainly include another NZ WinePro tour. Thank you John! Can we adopt you?

A fact intensive tour with John! Yesterday I was fortunate enough to spend the day with John and other guests for a wonderful tour of the Piha and Karekare region as well as a visit to three wineries. We enjoyed a lovely lunch at one of the wineries. John is as knowledgable guide as you will find. His vast knowledge of wine and New Zealand is impressive. Thank you John for a lovely day.

Wonderful Tour John picked us up promptly at our hotel and even had water waiting for us. We could not have asked for a better tour or a better guide. John really understands the wineries, locations, and his country. We asked a lot of questions and he had the answers. I think my favorite part of the trip was Piha but my family would go with the wineries! If you go on this tour, be prepared for some windy roads but it is absolutely stunning. I can’t say enough about the tour. I highly recommend this tour and going with John. We had the best time and thank you so much for making our last day in New Zealand a memorable one!

Superb Tour of Wineries and Murawai Beach / Gannet Nests John gave us a superb tour of Auckland Wineries and Murawai Beach / Gannet Nests. John's first hand knowledge of the wine industry is extraordinary. He is welcomed everywhere he goes - which speaks to the respect he has from the vintners and their great staff. I am a Kiwi living in the USA and have little to no knowledge of wine making - it was fascinating. John's knowledge of New Zealand spills out easily - nothing appears to be scripted so much as it is all his personal passion, nothing forced about the tour at all. You can't go wrong booking with John. If you have any apprehension of whizzing around west Auckland's roads in a multi-seat van - John is a great driver!

Touring the Vineyards was amazing! My parents and I took this tour with John and we just loved it! His knowledge of wine and New Zealand was incredible. We especially enjoyed the honey tasting at Soljans Estate. The Vineyards themselves were just stunning and the trip to Muriwai and seeing all the Gannets was awesome. We are so thankful to John for showing us around.

Excellent afternoon visiting Auckland wineries I had originally booked a private wine tour with another operator, who cancelled on me the day before the tour. After doing some searching on TripAdvisor, I reached out to John to see if he could accommodate a private tour at the last minute, and miraculously he was able to make it work. In retrospect, I'm glad the original tour was cancelled because there is no way I could have had a better afternoon than I did with John. He clearly knows his stuff when it comes to wine and has great relationships with the staff at local wineries. We were able to visit all of the places on my list, as well as several other great wineries that John suggested. I definitely lucked out and wish I had booked with John in the first place.

Wonderful Experience of New Zealand Wine, New Zealand Farmland and Black Sand Beach John was a wonderful tour guide, full of energy, efficiency and knowledge not only of the wine industry but New Zealand itself. A wonderful experience and would highly recommend spending time with John and experiencing the vineyards of the Auckland wine region. Thanks John great day.

Amazing Tour This was an absolutely wonderful tour! John is so knowledgeable and very friendly. Each winery he took us to was awesome with great staff, and wine. We stopped at the beach to soak in breathtaking views and John advised for some great photo opportunities. This is a must do tour in Auckland!

Incredible experience This tour was one of our favorite parts of our trip to Auckland. Beautiful scenery, delicious wine, and a fantastic guide to show us our way! John was so enthusiastic and knowledgable. We enjoyed his company and all of the beautiful spots we got to visit. I would highly recommend this tour!

The Best Tour We Have Ever Done! My husband and I travel extensively and have done many tours but this is probably our favorite tour ever. John is so good... knowledgeable and entertaining, with a clear desire to ensure that we had an amazing experience, which we definitely did. We saw some of the most beautiful beaches and coastlines, drank some wonderful coffee and wine and had a great lunch. Our visit with Jaison at Kerr Farm Winery was fantastic... being able to spend an hour alone talking with the wine maker was an unforgettable experience. John tailored the tour at our request and gave us a perfect experience. Don’t miss this!!

Excellent tour fantastic wines What a great tour, with a fantastic visit combining the scenery and the wines. Amazing sauvignon blancs! Special thanks to John for all the information about the different wine regions and grapes in New Zealand. We had a very very special day!

The Wineries, trip to the beach along with the rain tree forest was all amazing! John, our tour guide was the best guide of all the tours we had taken on our vacation. He was knowledge of the entire areas we visited and a treated us as if we were his own family. John was on time picking us up and delivering us to our destinations. I have to say his tour was the best one and most memberable one I have been on in a very long time. It was amazing to say the least and I would definitely recommend it to anyone.

Amazing Monday Auckland wine tour Absolutely amazing! John was very knowledgeable and got access to the workings of the winery that you dont usually get to see. We decided to add a brewery stop last minute and John rearranged the tour to accommodate. The tour even included some sightseeing, showing off the beautiful coastline. Had a wonderful time and will definitely go again next time we are in Auckland.

Exceeded expectations We had a great day with John in the Matakana wine district. In addition to the wines, we got an education about New Zealand, its flora and fauna, and many interesting facts about its people and economy. The boutique wineries we visited had a nice variety to taste, and the lunch at Plume was excellent. All in all a great sample of New Zealand and its wines. We highly recommend John McFarland.

AWESOME doesn't cover this My friend Meg and I had a few days in Auckland before a cruise and I found this tour. It said it was a 'small group tour'. I thought there might be some other people along. It was just John, Meg and me. It was a fantastic day! From the very beginning it was great. Our first stop was Babich winery. They clearly know John and we got VIP treatment. The wines were stellar. Then to Piha beach for a stroll. It was very nice. KiteKite falls was a highlight. I love waterfalls and this one was perfect. Great location.John really knew his stuff. Well versed in wine and nature. It was a perfect day and one that Meg and I point out as our favorite of the trip. Considering we took a 15 day cruise around New Zealand that says a lot!

Amazing time! This tour is a must to book, the wineries and the black sand beaches were definitely a highlight of our trip. And John was an incredible tour guide!! Definitely book this if you have the time.

Wonderful! This was the best way to end our time in New Zealand. As John was so hospitable and great for our tour. The choices of wineries were very good and my friends and I had a wonderful time. Racha.

Amazingly more than Auckland! We only had one day and were so happy we chose this day with John. We saw beautiful landscapes and beaches, learned so much about the area and its nature and history, and then to top it off we tasted great wines and enjoyed a very nice lunch. He was very friendly, knowledgeable on the wines and on the native ferns, and his driving skills made us relaxed and comfortable on some twisty narrow roads. This was a wonderful experience to get a taste of Auckland and outside of the city. Highly recommend! Thanks John for a fabulous day!

John was a great guide! My wife and i booked this half-day wine tour on our last day in NZ, and it was a great representation of this beautiful country - everyone was helpful, friendly and open. In particular, John was an excellent guide and host. The highlight of the tour was a visit to Jaison Kerr''s small vineyard (Kerr Farm) and historic home, which was a real treat.

Great Tour Perfect mix of nature and wine. Experienced and friendly guide. This format with small groups of people is really nice and brings a more personal and exclusive feel.

No Wonder SO many excellent reviews! Today we toured the Waitkere region (beaches and waterfalls) and wineries with John as our very excellent guide. So knowledgeable and gracious in answering questions and putting up with those unintentionally lagging behind, captivated by all we were enjoying. Lovely small group of now new friends. Too much to express but a fabulous day and wonderful taste of the of New Zealand. What a great way to begin our holiday down under! Thank you, John.

Excellent tour to the wineries Our family had a very enjoyable tour to the wineries as well as the Puhoi cheese factory, honey centre Wartworth and Chocolate Brown homemade chocolates. We also visited Ascension Winery and Runner Duck Estate. The wines at the estate and the lunch at Plume were excellent. We’d recommend this for those who love good food and wine. John is an excellent guide with vast knowledge and pleasant nature.- Andrew Chang and family

Great Tour And Great Value his is a great tour for anyone to have. John is personable, knowledgeable, polite, friendly, and versatile. He takes you to wineries that's off the beaten path; boutique wineries, various shops like chocolate and honey retailers. He is worth every dollar that you pay for his tour. If you want a personalized tour, make friends, and get to know New Zealand like local would, he is the man for you.

Matakana scenic coastal getaway Great tour really worth doing it. John took us to boutique wineries for tasting and for lunch in beautiful scenic places with beautiful views of the sea and rainforest. As part of the tour we stopped at a cheese and then at a chocolate factory. We learned so much about New Zealand with his great knowledge. It is not one of those commercial tours it is really special.

Beautiful Rainforest and great wines!!! We booked the Piha und Rainforest Wine Tour. Best tour ever!!! John picked us up at the hotel and we spent a fantastic day in Piha, the rainforest and at three wineries. John is a great guy, a very experienced guide and knows so many things about New Zealand in general and particular as well as in wines. Ask him any question, you will get the answer. The wine tasting was fabulous!!! Thank you very much John for a great and very interesting day!!!

One great way to spend a day on the North Island John is a great tour guide, knowledgeable, friendly, great sense of humor but also very professional. He was able to chat about everything from the history of New Zealand to the flora and fauna, and especially about the wine. To say it was a great day would be an understatement. He didn't rush anything on the tour and was able to modify it to fit our tastes and what he knew we would be interested in. If we come back I would love to tour another area with him and will recommend him to anyone we know coming to the Auckland area.

Piha and Karekare Rainforest and Wine Tour John was absolutely wonderful! This intimate tour fit in so many different things in a 7 hour period! The wineries and lunch were delicious and the beaches were gorgeous! We could not ask for a more wonderful tour/tour guide. It was a great tour for all ages and I would recommend it to anyone.