Talked with Winery people at a food show. Were told of the amazing picnics in the vines. Drove 2 hours with friends to experience this. Got there to find wooden picnic tables under shade cloths in the edge of a paddock. The mist unappealing venue ever. The picnic offerings were minimal. Completely misrepresented to us. Just not worth the energy or effort. Would score zeroing allowed

We had not heard of this winery previously but we were glad we stopped for a tasting.

As others have noted Giddion, who conducted our tasting, had an obvious enthusiasm for wine and it was interesting to work our way through the wines and to compare them with European wines we both had tasted.

As it took some time to work our way through the list it was a shame there were not chairs available to take a break from standing - my wife was flagging by the end of the tasting. The small tasting room was also quite stuffy - a pity the fans or AC were not turned on. To be honest the enthusiasm for the tasting by Giddion was such that he was probably not aware of the need for such things.

A quirky and enjoyable tasting quite different to the normal cellar door. The wines were interesting, we preferred the drier wines to the sweeter styles. We did not avail ourselves of the cheese and charcuterie selection but we noticed many others did. You can select your own foodstuffs, put them in a hamper and take them outside to eat in the outdoor picnic tables.

An interesting experience.

The most down to earth vineyard visited in the Hawkes Bay, no charge for tastings, excellent local food which you eat picnic style. Don’t miss Askerne if you are visiting the Hawkes Bay for a wine tasting!