Auckland's Hidden Cellar Door Somm Is Inviting Wine Lovers to Be Its Guest in Residence

It's rare to be able to experience everything that your traditional winery has to offer in the heart of a busy city, but boutique wine bar and cellar door Somm has taken a hard punt at it — and succeeded. Somm is nestled on Auckland's Princes Wharf, and aims to show its guests the joy of sharing and savouring wines while showing off what the vast New Zealand vino scene has to offer.

How to enjoy its wines is up to the drinker, whether you're keen on one glass after work before facing your hectic commute home, indulging in a vino flight on a sunny Saturday afternoon or experiencing an authentic cellar-door tasting.

In August, Somm introduced Guest in Residence, another way to indulge in delicious New Zealand wine. The first vinos in the series come from Mt Difficulty, a collection of vineyards from the Bannockburn, Gibbston and Bendigo regions.

For just $35, wine lovers enjoy a special set menu — with a choice between market fish crudo; a potato, truffle and smoked brie pizza; or a confit duck leg — served alongside a glass of Roaring Meg pinot noir, a Mt Difficulty cult favourite. Or, from $31, you can sample a Mt Difficulty wine flight.

And that's not all — everyone who heads along to Guest in Residence can go in the draw to win a luxurious getaway to Queenstown. Score the prize and you'll nab a two-night stay at Matakauri Lodge, a lakeside retreat with views of The Remarkables, Cecil and Walter Peak.

The Guest in Residence experience with Mt Difficulty is available to book at Somm, Shed 22, Princes Wharf, Auckland, until Sunday, September 17, with prices starting at $35 per person.