Cooks Beach: A Liqueur Tasting at Purangi Winery, Then Lunch at The Vessel
If you’re staying near Hot Water Beach or Hahei, Cooks Beach makes an easy afternoon: a tasting at Purangi Winery that turned out to be the surprise of our whole trip, then a late pub lunch at The Vessel. Neither needs much planning, and together they fill the gap between low tides.
Quick facts
- Where: Cooks Beach, Coromandel Peninsula, a short drive from Hot Water Beach and Hahei
- Time needed: an afternoon
- Book ahead? We didn’t need to for either
- Good for: a slow day between beaches, groups who don’t all want the same thing
- Our ratings: Purangi Winery 9/10, The Vessel 6/10
Before you go: opening hours change with the seasons, so check the Purangi Winery Facebook page before you drive up.
Purangi Winery
Up a small dirt road off the main route is Purangi Winery. It was the only one open that day, and it ended up being the best stop of the trip, so we went there first. Our host was welcoming, knew everything about the place and was very funny.
There are a few wines, but the real reason to go is the long shelf of liqueurs, made from almost everything grown on the property. We tasted every single one, got the history of each fruit and where it fits in New Zealand’s story, and walked out with a handful of bottles, some cider and a bit of a buzz. The cider came to Rotorua with us and finished the next night in a hot tub. Then we went to find some food.
The Vessel, Cooks Beach
We went straight from the tasting to a late lunch and stayed into happy hour. Between the four of us we ordered burgers, mussels, fish and chips and a grilled halloumi and mushroom sandwich. It was exactly what we needed after a morning digging holes on a beach.
Tips
- Check opening hours before you go. Out of season, not everything around Cooks Beach is open every day.
- Pick a driver before the tasting starts. There are a lot of liqueurs.
- Plan it around the tide. If low tide at Hot Water Beach is in the morning, this is the perfect afternoon.
Verdict
Purangi Winery: 9/10. Go for the liqueurs and the host. It’s the kind of place you’d never find without someone telling you about it, so consider yourself told. The Vessel: 6/10. A solid, easy lunch after it.
Purangi Winery and The Vessel FAQ
Do you need to book Purangi Winery?
We didn’t need to. Opening hours change with the seasons, so check their Facebook page before you drive up.
What is Purangi Winery known for?
Its liqueurs. There are a few wines, but the long shelf of liqueurs, made from almost everything grown on the property, is the reason to go.
Where is Cooks Beach?
On the Coromandel Peninsula, a short drive from Hot Water Beach and Hahei, which makes it an easy afternoon between low tides.
This was day 2 of our 10-day North Island itinerary, the same day we dug our pool at Hot Water Beach. The day before, we walked to Cathedral Cove.
