Oenophilia is alive and well in New Zealand. As such, it was only a matter of time before a sagacious individual set up a sophisticated retail space dedicated to wine-lovers. That opportunity has been realised in the form of The Wine Cave — a new den of education and indulgence where fans of fine drops can satiate their appetites (or palates).

Situated, unobtrusively, on Newmarket’s Carlton Gore Drive, the boutique (of sorts) will provide wine lovers with access to some of the country’s most acclaimed and hard-to-come-by wine as well as an array of enlightening wine experiences. Co-founder Joe Wang, who many may recognise as a former sommelier at Auckland’s prestigious Northern Club (he was also head sommelier at Cape Kidnappers), has been hard at work on the project for some time. Before opening, he visited more than 150 family-run estates to source single vineyard wines, produced on such a modest scale that they are only ever supplied to selected restaurants.

When frequenting The Wine Cave, guests will be able to enjoy one of several spaces; the main showroom, architecturally designed, with an ever-changing display of over 400 wine varieties and 60 unique spirits available to taste, the wine vault — a VIP room, accessed only via the swipe of a member’s card — which is home to an even more exclusive line-up, and a multi-purpose warehouse space suitably equipped for private functions.

Every month, a tasting will take place whereby 16 new wines, selected by The Wine Cave’s sommelier team, will be available for customers to taste via a EuroCave wine dispenser — the only one of its kind in New Zealand. Tastings start from $10 per person. Cheese and charcuterie platters are available for customers to purchase during their tasting sessions.

Bringing new initiatives including advanced mobile shopping technology, a membership club, personalised services and integrated tasting to the forefront, The Wine Cave is heralding a new way of both learning about and purchasing New Zealand’s most coveted drops. We suggest you stop by in order to best soak up what it’s all about. 

Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday, 9am-6pm
Special events and wine tastings to 9pm (by appointment)