New Zealand's most important region for red wines based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, it has been hailed by British wine commentator Oz Clark as potentially New Zealand's greatest. The region is currently second to Marlborough in proportion of national vineyard area, and makes around a quarter of the country's wine. Hawke's Bay already has a century of production to its credit.

Chardonnay is the most important variety for whites and is the most widely planted variety overall. Sauvignon Blanc is also of significance but makes a softer wine than Marlborough. Syrah also shows promise in the warmest sites.

A broad range of wine styles reflects the diversity in local terroir. Mesoclimates vary with altitude, topography and coastal influence , and there is considerable variation in soil type. The area benefits from very high sunshine hours. Compare the warm Gimblett Road sub-region, with its free draining soils, to the Central Hawkes Bay sub-region, making wine in a cool climate style at higher altitude. Top producers: Bilancia, Craggy Range, Clearview, Esk Valley, Ngatarawa, Redmetal, Sacred Hill, Stonecroft, Sileni, Te Mata, Trinity Hill.