A new international guide has arrived in New Zealand, and this one is all about drinking better, not more. The Coravin Guide launched this week at Soul Bar & Bistro in Auckland, ranking venues by the strength of their wines-by-the-glass lists — and it lands hot on the heels of the country's first Michelin Guide earlier this year.
The format is refreshingly simple. Venues earn one of three tiers based on how many wines they pour by the glass: 'Excellent' for 20-40, 'Outstanding' for 41-60, and 'Exceptional' for more than 60. There's also a 'Greg's Hidden Gems' category, named after Coravin founder Greg Lambrecht, spotlighting smaller spots with creative or inspiring lists. The inaugural edition features 25 venues nationwide, including Cassia in Auckland, Odeon in Christchurch and Rātā in Queenstown — all three of which also appeared in the 2026 Michelin Guide New Zealand.
The guide is a spin-off from the Coravin device, the gadget that pours wine through a needle without pulling the cork, letting bars offer expensive bottles by the glass without worrying about oxidation and waste. Venues don't need to use the device to be listed, though.
Why should travellers care? Because it essentially hands you a curated bar crawl. If you're the kind of drinker who wants a Central Otago pinot with one course and something from the southern Rhône with the next, the guide points you to venues where that's actually possible. It's free to browse online, and it works weeknight logic too: one interesting glass instead of committing to a bottle you'll struggle to finish before driving home.
The timing makes sense. Coravin's own research says more than half of diners who order wine are choosing by-the-glass more often than two years ago, chasing variety and higher-end drops without the bottle-price commitment. As chief commercial officer Richard Yeomans puts it, people are drinking less but drinking better — and they want to explore. New Zealand's early inclusion also reflects its growing status as both a wine producer and a wine-loving destination.
With 25 venues live and more in the pipeline, the guide is small but growing, and for anyone planning a trip around Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch or Queenstown, it's a handy new filter for finding serious wine lists — no Michelin-starred tasting menu required.
