Tastings & Wine Tours
Winner - "Best Winery Experience" Manaakitanga Awards 2009
Wine Tasting & Cellar Door Sales...
- Mon-Fri: 11:00am - 4:00pm
- Weekends & holidays: 11:00am - 5:00pm
For groups of 10 guests or less, we have a small tasting charge that allows you to sample up to three wines per person for $3 or up to six wines per person for $5.
If you purchase two or more bottles of our wine to take home, we will cheerfully refund your tasting fee!
Group Tastings & Tours
At Ascension Wine Estate we offer three different options for you to experience our wines and our story.
For the comfort of your group and our other guests, any group of 10 or more should select one of the three following options...
- Standard Tasting & Tour
This includes a tasting of four Ascension wines and a visit inside the winery, accompanied by an informative commentary. Our tasting usually takes place inside the winery itself (subject to bookings).
Duration: 45 minutes
Price: $15 per person
Minimum 10 guests
- Premium Tasting & Tour
Weather permitting, we begin our premium tasting & tour among the vines before moving into the winery. Inside the winery, we continue our tasting of six premium Ascension wines, including "The Ascent" Reserve Chardonnay, "The Benediction" Reserve Bordeaux-style red, and our ten year old "Fortitude" Old Tawny.
Duration: 1 hour
Price: $20 per person
Minimum 10 guests
- Super-Premium Experience
Weather permitting, we begin our super-premium tasting & tour among the vines with a taste of our Methode Traditionnelle before moving into the winery. Inside the winery, we look at some of the winemaking equipment, and you have the opportunity to sample wine directly from the barrel.
We then move through to our private Mahurangi dining room where our tasting of six premium Ascension wines begins. This includes our super-premium "Epiphany" Matakana Pressings, "The Ascent" Reserve Chardonnay, "The Benediction" Reserve Cabernet Franc, and our ten year old "Fortitude" Old Tawny.
These six fabulous wines are accompanied with a selection of premium cheeses.
Duration: 1½ hours
Price: $55 per person
Minimum 10 guests
Maximum 19 guests
The International Wine Experience
Each May in conjunction with United Travel Warkworth, Ascension owners Darryl & Bridget Soljan host a small group of guests on a tour of a world-renowned wine growing region.
Using contacts and knowledge from a lifetime of winemaking in New Zealand and overseas, Darryl compiles an itinerary that affords participants a rare insight into some of the world's best and most historic wineries. It provides "behind the scenes" access rarely experienced by the general public.
And we build in enough "free time" and scenic diversions to make every journey wonderful and memorable. Restaurants are chosen as the result of personal recommendations from friends and winemakers!
With Darryl's experience, knowledge and contacts, and Bridget's enthusiasm for a good time and a late night, you are guaranteed a great time with some fantastic wine and food.
May 2009 South Australian Wine Tour
In early May 2009 we are repeating our fantastic 2008 tour of South Australia, with a few new wineries. It will be limited to just 14 guests. To register your interest in advance, please phone Lynette Giles at United Travel Warkworth on 09 425-8009.
South Australian Wine Tour Photos
See our Photo Gallery page for more Australian wine tours photos.
Underground cellar at Sevenhill Winery, Clare Valley.
Private tasting in the Penfolds cellar.
Lunch at D'arenberg, McLaren Vale.