Daily ToursGourmet Food and Wine TourBoutique Wine TourClassic Wine TourTwilight Stars And Wine TourQueenstown Highlights TourTaste • Hear • See • Feel • Central Otago
Steeped in early pioneering and gold mining history, this rugged mountainous region has rapidly become a leading producer of high quality, cool-climate wines.
We have six distinct wine sub-regions: Wanaka, Gibbston, Bannockburn, Cromwell/Pisa/Lowburn, Bendigo and Alexandra.
Each have varying mountainous terrain, terroir, and climate that produces distinctive characteristics in many wine varietals.
Lying 80 kilometres and several mountain ranges north of Queenstown, Wanaka boasts some of the world’s most picturesque vineyards. Cooler and slightly wetter than the Queenstown and Cromwell areas, beautiful Lake Wanaka provides welcome reflected radiation and mitigates frost producing delicate and vivid wines.
The extreme climate has rewarded careful site selection with wines of great intensity and finesse, with an increasing focus being seen into sub-regional expression. Situated east of Queenstown along the spectacular Kawarau Gorge, Gibbston hasn’t looked back since the first commercial bottling in 1987. The highest sub-region, its cooler climate and north-facing hillside vines ripen later than neighbouring sub-regions, giving lighter though still intense wines.
On the south bank of the Kawarau River, at the southern terminus of the Cromwell Valley, the vineyards occupy one of the warmest, driest sites in the region. Harvest can be up to a month ahead of other sub-regions, and the wines produced are highly distinctive and complex.
This area is located on the western side of Lake Dunstan stretching north for some 25km from the township of Cromwell. Most of the plantings are situated on the lower terraces and valley floor running parallel to the snow-capped Pisa mountain range producing seductive wines.
Northeast of Cromwell, Bendigo is possibly the warmest of all the sub-regions with vines planted on gentle north facing slopes. Wide-scale plantings (in the context of the region) on stony soils capture the extreme climates hot summer sun and cold clear nights.
In 1864, a frenchman called Jean Desire Feraud, was the first person to plant grape cuttings in the Alexander sub-region, and his stone winery still stands within the spectacular schist landscape.
The most southerly sub-region, the climate is dry and runs to extremes in both summer and winter. The marked daily climatic variations right up to harvest give vividly varietal, aromatic, finely structured wines.
Our tours visit different cellar doors every single day! This keeps our tours interesting for our guides and also allows guests to make vineyard requests. Our tours are all pre-planned and booked in with each vineyard creating personalised service at each stop.
If you have certain vineyards you wish to visit, it may pay to contact us so that we can recommend the tour which can accommodate those requests. All vineyard requests need to be made in advance or at the time of booking.
On our Gourmet Food & Wine Tour and our Boutique Wine Tour, we visit two vineyards in the Gibbston region and two vineyards in the Cromwell or Bannockburn basin.
We stay in the Gibbston region on our Classic Wine Tour, visiting the Gibbston Valley cave and then two further vineyards around the same area.
A large scale producer and well-known brand, Amisfield has multiple vineyards and has one of the largest single vineyards in Central Otago. The stunning cellar door, restaurant, and one of their smaller vineyards overlook the beautiful Lake Hayes, situated between Queenstown and Arrowtown.
Ten years after founding Rimapere in Marlborough, Edmond de Rothschild Heritage acquired 34.5 hectares in Akarua, a historic vineyard in Central Otago. The renowned Cairnmuir area of Bannockburn offers exceptional conditions for crafting fine Pinot Noir. "Akarua," meaning "two vines" in Maori, was originally planted with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, setting the stage for its legendary wines.
Mora Wines is a new chapter in the evolution of Central Otago wine. Derived from the Latin word for "to linger," Mora embodies the art of slowing down and savoring the moment. A second-generation, family-owned business, Mora is the latest venture from the Skeggs Group, known for its globally successful RUA brand.
Planted in 1994 and now sitting at 13 hectares, the family-owned vineyard is one of the smallest sites in Central Otago that boasts its own winery. In addition to the traditional Central Otago varieties, Brennan also produce zinfandel, tempranillo and pinot grigio.
Burn Cottage Vineyard Property is a twenty-four hectare estate in the foothills of the Pisa range in Central Otago, New Zealand. The Sauvage family owns this vineyard, alongside the celebrated Koehler Ruprecht estate in the Pfalz region of Germany. Burn Cottage have created a unique closed farm on their site, in order to produce biodynamic wine.
Named after the Carrick Range, this winery makes wines that are estate-grown, wild fermented and certified organic. From their 23.5 hectares they craft a diverse range of styles with a focus on quality and small-batches. The vineyard, winery, restaurant and cellar door are located in Bannockburn, Central Otago.
This dramatic location can be reached by driving the original stage coach road to Queenstown, and you’ll need a drink after navigating that road! Chard Farm is historically the second ever winery located in Gibbston Valley and is owned by the same Family, the Hay’s, who transformed it from Farm to Winery in 1987.
Established in 1985, Cloudy Bay was one of the first five wine producers to venture into Marlborough. At the time, it was almost an unimaginable place to set-up a vineyard. They have now also established vineyards in the equally seemingly unlikely location of Central Otago. Their Northburn cellar door commands magnificent views.
Coal Pit Vineyard covers 12 hectares of land in the heart of Gibbston. 7 of which contain Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc vines dating back to 1994, some of the oldest in Gibbston. Coal Pit is one of the few single vineyards in Gibbston where the grapes are grown, handpicked and crafted into wines on site.
Located in Bannockburn, Dicey is a family-run winery founded by brothers Matt and James Dicey. Known as true legends of Central Otago winemaking, the Dicey brothers follow in the footsteps of their father, Robin. Originally from South Africa, Robin trained in winemaking and viticulture at Stellenbosch University. His training bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the family’s vineyard.
Felton Road Winery produced it’s first vintage in 1997 and since then has achieved worldwide recognition. Felton Road fosters a biodynamic approach with a focus on sustainability and quality fruit. Felton is available by private appointment only on a private tour.
The ‘original’ winery in Central Otago. Alan Brady, one of the first pioneers in the region, planted experimental vines on a small patch in Gibbston in the early 80s, and the rest is history! Gibbston Valley is now the biggest name in Central Otago, producing wine from their Gibbston and Bendigo vineyards.
Kinross is located on the old Kinross Station in Gibbston Valley. It was established in the late 1860's by pioneering Otago farmer, Thomas Kinross, who ran a thriving Trading Post, farm and gold agency on this site. Today, Kinross is the official cellar door for five boutique wine producers: Kinross, Coal Pit, Hawkshead, Valli and Wild Irishman. Guests have the opportunity to sample a larger range of varietals from multiple winemakers, or try out the wonderful bistro and vineyard accommodation.
Another big name from the region, Mt Difficulty started in 1992 on a handshake. The ‘Gang of Four’ (owners of five newly planted vineyards in Bannockburn) decided to join together to produce wine under one label. Mt Difficulty now produces blends and single vineyards from all over Central Otago.
Pioneer Alan Brady started Mt Edward after he left Gibbston Valley Winery. Now a family-owned business, it is BioGro certified organic across its 5 estate vineyards. Mt Edward are known for doing things a little differently; they were the first in New Zealand to make Vermouth and have wine on tap.
Owned by husband-and-wife team, Misha and Andy. Misha's vineyard is located in the sub-region of Bendigo, on the lakefront terraces of Bendigo Station. The vineyard consists of 26 hectares of plantings, producing 7 styles of wine from 5 varietals, which can be tasted in their Cromwell cellar door.
Originally planted in 2000, the original cellar door was the wool shed from the sheep station which the vineyard now occupies. In 2021 they moved just down the road to a beautiful new cellar door in the middle of the vines. Mt Rosa’s goal is to limit the pretentious element in an attempt to create approachable, consistent wines.
Maude is a family-owned wine company, created by experienced winemaking couple Sarah-Kate and Dan Dineen. They produce hand crafted wines from their custom build winery amidst the stunning back drop of Lake Wanaka. The family estate vineyard, Mt Maude, was planted in 1994 on the steep north facing slopes of the sheltered Maungawera Valley just outside of Wanaka, Central Otago.
In August 2017, Nockie’s palette purchased Georgetown Vineyard, where the award-winning Pinot Noir and Pinot Rosé grapes were harvested. The Georgetown Vineyard is situated at the Cromwell end of the Kawarau Gorge and sits on the site of the historic Georgetown. The cellar door is located at Stoneridge Estate, commanding beautiful views of Lake Hayes.
Established in 1998, Peregrine are a family-owned business and renowned producer in the region. They have vineyards in Gibbston, Pisa and Bendigo. The architecturally designed cellar door and winery evokes the image of a falcon wing, and has won accolades from around the world. Peregrine’s conservation efforts aim to save the saddleback and re-establish the New Zealand falcon in Central Otago.
Almost 25 years ago, Prophet’s Rock set themselves one goal: to prove that Central Otago could produce some of the finest wines in the world. That no-compromise obsession began in the vineyards and continues to this day. With a focus on minimal intervention, and highlighting the unique terroir of their vineyards, their wines are meticulously crafted. Available by appointment only, on private tours.
Quartz Reef was born as the Central Otago wine industry began to bloom. From their inception, they have championed a philosophy of biodynamics and organics. Widely considered as a far-sighted pioneer of the Central Otago wine region, Rudi Bauer was awarded Winemaker of the Year in 1999 and again in 2010.
Founded in 1982, Rolfe and Lois were one of the first wine pioneers in the region. Now, the vineyard is 15 hectares and overlooks Lake Wanaka, Ruby Island, the Southern Alps and beyond. Rippon produce a small quantity of Gamay, a rare find in the region, and Osteiner, not found anywhere else in Central Otago.
Founded in 1991, Rockburn began as a 3ha ‘hobby’ block vineyard at Lake Hayes near Arrowtown. Today, Rockburn consists of over 45ha in Lake Hayes, Gibbston and Mt Pisa. They also have their own winery in Cromwell.
The beating heart of Te Kano Estate, Northburn is the largest of the four vineyards and their spiritual home. An extensive Kōwhai regeneration project is taking place here using seed harvested from an ancient ancestor tree. Spanning 102 hectares, the sheer size of the site has offered unique opportunities to explore a wide variety of soil types, aspects and slopes, and perfectly match these to a variety of Pinot Noir clones. The cellar door is a cantilevered building overlooking the Bannockburn vineyard with breath-taking views of the Kawarau river.
Terra Sancta means special place. With four vineyards and a winery based in the premium Central Otago subregion of Bannockburn, the soul of Terra Sancta Estate is on Felton Road. Home to the first vines planted in Bannockburn, Terra Sancta is a wonderland of detail and vibrancy - conveyed in their products, labels and map.
Established in 1998 and named after winemaker Grant Taylor’s Great-Great Grandfather, Giuseppe Valli, who immigrated to New Zealand from an Italian winemaking background. Valli was founded with the aim of creating true representations of Otago’s subregions with unflinching intensity and purity. This was also a first for the region. No one had attempted to capture, let alone master, the developing subregional plot that has now begun to unfold as the next exciting chapter in the Otago wine story. Grant has won the trophy for ‘Best Pinot Noir’ at the world’s largest International Wine Competition in London an unprecedented four times. A feat achieved by no other winemaker in the world.
Waitiri Creek’s vineyard blocks are planted with grape varieties perfectly suited to the Gibbston microclimate, a practice known as ‘terroir mapping.’ This innovative approach to matching cultivars with land and climate is a recent advancement in New Zealand’s wine industry. Handpicking grapes remains a key practice to ensure top quality. The soils consist of wind-blown glacial deposits over free-draining alluvial schist, with vineyards located 300-350 meters above sea level.
This boutique family-owned winery produced their first vintage in 2004. Wild Earth produce award winning pinot noir, alongside wonderful examples of aromatic pinot gris, chardonnay, sweet and dry style Rieslings and beautiful pinot noir rosé. Owner, Quintin, also founded the Stoaker Room, famous for slow cooking, smoking and steaming its food inside retired pinot noir wine barrels. The delicious wine and food pairings can be tried on our Gourmet Wine Tour.
Wooing Tree Vineyard gets its name from the largest tree on the vineyard. When the land was first purchased by the owners, they were advised to clear the land of all shrubs and trees. Unbeknownst to the new owners there was a tree on the land called the Wooing Tree, a popular place for locals to woo their lovers. The impending removal of the tree bought a lot of locals out of the woodwork as the tree had to be saved. The Wooing Tree is a single vineyard with approximately 44,000 vines planted in 2002.
