[2] Dalmatian immigrants arriving in New Zealand in the late 19th and early 20th centuries brought with them viticultural knowledge and planted vineyards in West and North Auckland.

In recent years, the hotter temperatures are allowing Auckland winemakers (for example Omaha Bay, Cooper's Creek, Heron's Flight, Matavino, and Obsidian) to experiment with Italian and Spanish grape varieties, such as Albariño, Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Dolcetto, Temperanillo, and even Nebbiolo.

[citation needed] Waiheke Island, just off the east coast of Auckland in the Hauraki Gulf, has a dry and warm mesoclimate and is planted primarily in French red grape varieties: Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay.

The area is most notable for its excellent Chardonnay, with well reviewed examples especially from Kumeū River and Soljans Estate Winery.

Some of New Zealand's oldest wineries are in Kumeū, established in the late 1800s by Croatian settlers working the Kauri gum fields.

It extends from Mahurangi Harbour in the south, and as far north as Leigh, although most of the vineyards are clustered in the hills and valleys between Warkworth and Matakana.