79. Best Wineries and Wine Tours in Central Otago, New Zealand.
Want to know about the best wineries to visit in Central Otago and the best ways to get there?
Well then keep listening as we take you on a wine hopper experience through this picturesque wine region of New Zealand.
There are many ways to explore the region, including the wine hopper tour, private tours and of course bike and e-bike tours. We share the details on all of these different ways to get around the region.
Come with us as we visit one tavern, and seven very different vineyards and cellar doors which all have a unique way of sharing their wines with visitors.
One of the cellar doors asks you to take a Flight of Fancy Quiz to see which one of five different wine tastings is perfect for you. That was so much fun.
Other vineyards we visited were in rustic horse stables, one is featured in a famous TV show, another is a converted church. We had a wine tasting in the largest wine cave in New Zealand, enjoyed a prize winning glamorous cellar door with the cutest little outdoor wine tasting cubby houses. We even tasted wine from the most southern cellar door in the world with a connection to Captain Cook and we marvelled at the stunning views at each venue. The places we visited may have very different cellar doors and vineyards, but the one thing they have in common is their fabulous wine.
Stay listening to the end where we tell you how you can visit two of the most well-known and prize winning wineries in Central Otago without driving, being on a tour or riding a bike and it only costs $2.
So grab a glass, sit back and enjoy Episode 79 all about the stunning Central Otago Wine Region.
SHOW NOTES, PICTURES below
Gibbston Tavern
The Tavern is a great spot to start your tour of the Central Otago region. They describe themselves as “A Kiwi Style Tavern in the heart of Wine Country”. It has a family friendly outdoor area with lots of seating around the gardens and under the trees. The tavern specialises in wood-fired pizzas, a delicious vegan menu and local craft beers. The tavern is located on the Queenstown Wine Trail.
The Tavern also has the GT Tasting Room which is home to some of Central Otago's finest wines, gins, distilled spirits, liqueurs, ports, and draughts, the GT Tasting Room has something to suit every flavour at one stop.
You can visit the Tavern website here Gibbston Tavern
Rockburn Wines Cellar Door is located right next to the Gibbston Tavern in the Rockburn Stables. It is very rustic cellar door with a lovely atmosphere. We met Alex here who gave us all the information on the wines we were tasting. She was very passionate and knowledgeable about their wines. One of my favourites, also one of their most popular wines, is the Stolen Kiss Rose. You can find out more about this prizewinning vineyard and cellar door here. Rockburn Wines
Kinross Wines and Cellar Door is a little unique. They actually have five different wineries that you can do tastings from. If you are unsure where to start, they have a “Flight of Fancy” Quiz where you can “Define Your Wine Taste”. It only takes a couple of minutes, and when you are finished, you have the perfect tasting suggestion for your preferences.
Kinross has a lovely outdoor area with lounges and a big fireplace. This area looks over the vineyards and the snow-capped mountains. There is accommodation available here as well. This cellar door is also on the Bike and E-bike Wine Trail. You can access their website here: Kinross Wine
Mt. Rosa Wines is a family owned, single estate since 1999.
One of the first things you will notice when you arrive at Mt Rosa are the amazing sheep sculptures made out of wood and sticks. Then you enter the corrugated iron building into a warm and cosy room that leads out onto the covered verandah area where you can soak up the sun. Once again this winery has spectacular views. Mt. Rosa is not only known for its delicious wine, they are famous for their delicious platters. You can find out more here - Mt. Rosa
Once again you can access this winery and cellar door by bike or e-bike on the wine trail.
The Church Cellar Door is a fabulous spot to call in for a wine tasting. The church building has a great history and you can learn all about it while you are sipping wine, on the verandah, overlooking the lush green garden and snow-capped mountains. The wine on offer for tasting is from Mount Edward Wines.
Along with the church building, the grounds feature a cricket pitch, volleyball pit, games area and extensive outdoor area.
You can find out more about the Church Cellar Door here. Church Cellar Door
The tour we did to visit these incredible wineries and cellar doors was the Wine Hopper Tour. This is very economical and flexible way to visit the Central Otago Wine Region. Your driver will give you all the information you need to make your choice of which places to visit and then the driver will drop you and pick you up at pre-arranged times. It is a really relaxing and fun way to explore and you are not tied to a more formal timetable.
Amisfield Winery. No visit to the Central Otago Wine Region would be complete without a visit to Amisfield. This winery produces world famous wines and has won many awards, the latest award is for the New Zealand Sustainable Winery of the Year.
It is a lovely cellar door and restaurant. Make sure if you want to have a meal you book ahead. There are some lovely outdoor areas to enjoy the views and wine as well. If you don’t have a car and just want to visit this winery and cellar door, the local bus leaves regularly from Queenstown and drops you at the bus stop and the front gate of Amisfield and it is only $2.00. You can find out more about Amisfield Winery here.
Gibbston Valley Winery is located just 20 minutes from Queenstown. They are home to New Zealand’s largest wine cave and the region's oldest vineyards. When visiting Gibbston Valley Winery you can enjoy a variety of wine, tasting & bike tours showcasing both the wine and the region.
You can learn all about Gibbston Valley Winery and Cellar Door and Restaurant here
Wet Jacket Wines.
Wet Jacket wines have the most southern cellar door in the world, located at Frankton Marina. The name Wet Jacket comes from Wet Jacket Arm in Dusky Sound. It was named Wet Jacket Arm by Captain James Cook.
Greg Hay the owner of Wet Jacket Wines has a passion for conservation as well as making fantastic wines. In episode 78 we spoke to Greg all about his wine philosophy and love of the part of New Zealand. You can listen to that episode here. Wet Jacket Wine Podcast here or you can visit their website here
We have much more detailed information about wine tours, bike tours and the wineries and taverns above in our podcast episode. We share the best way to explore this fantastic wine region in New Zealand. Just click one of the players above if you want to hear more.
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Wine Tours in Central Otago.