Mission Estate Winery

We got to see The Mission cellar door while we were visiting friends who had just moved to Napier, as part of a wine tour with Frankly Tours (see other review). We did the tour on a Sunday, hoping that the cellar doors would be open, and we were not disappointed. The Mission was our first stop, and what a starter! Fantastic venue and atmosphere, just stunning on the hill. 5 wines tasted from their extensive range, starting with their bubbles. We were given plenty of time to browse the historic photos and artifacts after the wine tasting session. Tour guide was the most knowledgeable of the 3 by far that we met on the day tour, and I think we chatted so much with Q&A that we kind of ran out of time. Absolutely no pressure to buy any of the wines, and indeed we were back on our tour bus before we realised we had not had the chance to purchase LOL. Beyond the wine production the venue and location itself is obviously a major part of their business set up, simple stunning. Recommend you ask for this "cellar door" specifically on any wine tour in Napier.

Beautiful spot, great wines and wonderful history made for a stunning start to our wine discovery. Self guided tasting so you do not feel rushed but stuff there to help out if and when needed. When back for seconds. Also we'll priced celler door wines for sale.

Well worth the detour. We did some tasting followed by a cheese platter. Yvonne was warm and super knowledgeable - not only about the wine and heritage but also the region. Highly recommended!

We visited for a wine tasting on Thursday and were presented with four different types to choose from. I selected one to start with, and after tasting it, I wanted to try another. Unfortunately, I was told that only one type is allowed per tasting session, and if I wanted to try more, I’d have to go into the restaurant and order a glass. Since my companion was tied up with a long online meeting, I had to give up on the idea. The setting was beautiful and the pricing very reasonable, but the inflexible policy was a bit disappointing.

Lovely food and staff. Would have been 5 star but a bit odd in their rules on one paddle per person seeing the amount of wine choice’s and how much time and money we spent in the restaurant. The “can’t be in the grass” with the tasting paddle also very odd and comes across as uninviting. They were reasonable at accommodating to food intolerances.

The most beautiful winery we’ve visited in Hawke’s Bay. We had 2 wine tastings, the white and the aromatic flights. $15/per person which was a steal because we spent nearly 2 hours there (and they over pour). I highly recommend the “2023 Mission Estate Hawke’s Bay Riesling” which is part of the aromatic flights. It’s a nice place to take your time to write down what you think of each wine and talk over some tipsy day drinking. The tastings themselves were all hitters. I personally would have bought a bottle myself because they were delicious and reasonably priced at around $18/ bottle. But I’m no wine snob, I just thought the views were pretty nice. The drive in features old well maintained trees and a beautiful landscape to drink in front of. Go on a nice sunny day and get yourself pretty because you will want to take lots of pictures. Well done

Magic place with incredibly tasty wine, we loved our stop at Mission Estate. Our server was very nice. We went for the aromatic self guided tasting and what a blast ! We ended up by buying four bottles. You should really include Mission Estate in your winery tour !

My family and I recently visited Mission Winery and were not disappointed. The wine is worth trying and the view is stunning. The service that we had from Trevor in particular was exceptional. He was knowledgeable, answered all our questions about the estate and the wine, and had a very friendly manner. We highly recommend going for a visit.

So interesting to visit this winery in Napier. Founded in 1851 by French Missionaries, Mission Estate Winery is the oldest winery in New Zealand. In 1880, the big house was built. In 1909, they decided to move the house as it kept flooding. It was cut into 11 separate pieces, rolled on logs up the hill with traction engines and then nailed back together. The process took two days. In 1930, construction on a concrete residence started. Students moved in on February 2, 1931. Then next day, a 7.9 earthquake hit Hawke's Bay. Two priests and a seven students praying in the chapel were killed in the stone chapel when it hit. Over the years, more additions and modifications to the property were made. Today, Mission Estates Winery iconic New Zealand landmark and an award winning winery. It was so interesting to hear about the history and then be able to sample several of their award winning wines. Thanks for the tour of the beautiful winery and the wine glasses that we took home as a memento of the visit.

This was a beautiful winery we visited during the summer. It's very historical and you can hear or read about the winery's history of moving. They also have quite a few old bottles on display. The entrance is very beautiful and make sure to check out the bottle in the floor of the doorway when you walk through the entrance. The wine tasting was pleasant and the person giving it was knowledgeable. We tasted both whites and reds, but we didn't end up buying anything. Our tour guide gave us a mission estate wine glass as a moment though, so that was sweet. Aside from the wine tastings they do in the main area, there is also a restaurant off to the side that I don't think is affiliated with the winery part. There is a nice backyard area with pretty views and flowers.

I got the mushroom soup, beef filet and croquette, and the olive oil cake with goat cheese ice cream. I tasted their Chardonnay, gewürztraminer, and Merlot wines. I enjoyed all of them despite those types not being my favorite. The Merlot especially was better than many other merlots I've had in the past. The soup, filet, and goat cheese ice cream were awesome! I also really enjoyed the bread that had cheese inside that was supplied to the table. I learned what Dukkah is & plan to find/make some when I get home. The service was great and the estate is beautiful. The lights flickered a lot during dinner, so we joked the place is haunted.

Appalling service, server had no idea of what the dishes were, constantly bringing wrong dishes, never asked once how our meal was. Food was acceptable standard but not outstanding. Ambiance was OK, nothing special. Overall experience very disappointing as were visiting for a special occasion. Very below par for a supposedly fine dining establishment where our meal bill was $180 for two...

My partner and I came to Mission Estate Winery for a wine tasting, and had a wine time! It cost $10 per person to try 9 wines: 1 sparkling, 1 rosé, 3 white, 3 red, and 1 dessert. The portions were sizable, and the flavors were distinct from one another. We had our tasting on the porch overlooking the vineyard. The space is beautiful and well landscaped. Our guide was knowledgeable, engaged, and kind. I absolutely recommend coming here for a tasting!

$5 tasting fee per person which is waived if you buy a bottle of wine and includes two free wine glasses. That's a nice start. This place is beautiful. The perfect location for a wedding, and we learned it is often used for such purposes almost daily. The tasting room was full and we enjoyed about 6-7 different wines at our tasting. One that stood out quite strongly was their Pinot Gris - the perfect poolside wine, and it has definitely served its purpose as such. Their rose was also quite nice. Not overly sweet, but not too dry and very drinkable. I believe this rose was predominantly merlot and it was a refreshing wine to start our tasting off with. We purchased a bottle of their sparkling wine - a Pinot Gris and Chardonnay blend and although we haven't tried it have been told it's quite dry and buttery. I'm looking forward to sampling it! Lovely way to start our weekend. Would highly recommend starting here for your weekend of tastings

Just down the road from Church Road Winery is Mission Estate Winery. In 1851, French missionaries sailed to New Zealand and planted vines - introducing Mission Estate, New Zealand's oldest winery! Since trying Mission Estate's wines last year, I have fallen in love. My favourite wine at the moment? Mission Estate's 2017 Pinot Gris. It is a beautiful drop and I highly recommend trying it.  While we didn't dine at Mission Estate's restaurant (having already had lunch at Church Road Winery) or do a wine tasting, we did have a lovely walk around the grounds and various dining areas, plus I purchased some of their beautiful branded glasses - at only $5 each, they were an absolute steal!

We had a tasting and lunch here. Tasting experience was good - not too dear, generally likeable wine, and great staff. Lunch was less nice. Food was mediocre for the price point, the wait for it was very long, and service was indifferent. At least the shady patio was a lovely spot to spend the time.

Came here intending to taste some Chardonnay and possibly buy a case or two....but the staff in the tasting room didn't acknowledge our presence for 12 minutes or so - busy with other guests - I've tasted a lot of wine on four continents but have never been treated as rudely as by the staff here.

world class restaurant class all the way, yes they know how to decant and use correct stemware for their excellent syrah. French colonial building beautifully restored houses a tasting room and memorabilia from the good auld daze when resident brothers and seminarians produced the vino. restaurant open 363 days a year lunch and dinner serves a very high quality menu for FAIR prices relative to the QUALITY which oozes from every pore, are u taking note overpriced and undelivering competitors out there, yes u know whom u are

My favourite winery. Stunning estate and cheap wine tasting!! Great view of the vineyard during lunch. Beautiful place for a wedding. Great place to take friends from out of town.

Wine tasting, cappuccinos, the food and most importantly the deserts keep me coming back year after year. Nice way to spend an afternoon looking out over a vineyard while enjoying yourself with friends, food and of course, wine.

Can I say enough? This was a dining experience extraordinaire! We started with a sparkling rosé in the bar before retiring to the dining room. We asked our host, Tara, if they could just bring us great dishes without us referring to the menu. To our delight, she was pleased with the notion. From then on, she and her colleague Hanna kept bringing us fabulous food and estate wines to die for. I was so taken that I forgot to photograph the dishes (very unlike me). The food was prepared expertly, with many influences beyond New Zealand, yet incorporating local ingredients - beef, lamb, prawns, duck. The sides were paired and portioned appropriately. Every dish was prepared perfectly and presented elegantly. Not a morsel was left, as we were satisfied but not overstuffed. I was happy to greet and congratulate the chef, who is only 27 with a great career waiting, as he may wish. An excellent value; very highly recommended and definitely Michelin star worthy!

We loved this restaurant. After a lot of mediocre meals in New Zealand, we found this great location. Wonderful site, good food and fine wine.

Amazing food, fantastic venue but awesome service. Could not fault anything. Very impressed. We will be back.