The Hunting Lodge is a winery, restaurant, lawn bar and events venue at 307 Waikoukou Valley Road, in the Waimauku area just outside Kumeū in West Auckland wine country. The site was once a hunting lodge for the Kerr-Taylor family, and the business says it is the home of New Zealand's original Sauvignon Blanc commercial vines. The restaurant sits at the centre of the site. Its wines include a boutique range that changes with the seasons, a Project X range of more experimental wines, classic New Zealand expressions, and a Home Block range made from its own vineyard.
The restaurant serves lunch and dinner from 11:45am, Thursday to Saturday, and asks for bookings outside those hours to be made by contacting the venue. Outdoor seating depends on the weather, and earlier sittings for groups can be arranged on request. The venue is about 30 minutes from the Auckland CBD and 15 minutes from Muriwai Beach, and Woodhill Forest and Parakai are both close by. Our pick in Waimauku for lunch with a Home Block wine.