We had some extra time in the afternoon and decided to do a wine tasting. You must have a…read morereservation so reserve your spot before you head out. The road there is a bit scary but don't let it deter you. It's not meant for two cars and it's gravel so drive slowly and stay safe. We were early and joined two other couples in their tasting. It was a hoot. The lady who was our host was entertaining and very knowledgeable about the wine. We compared travel experiences with the other couples. Even found an Aussie Timberwolves fan. We bonded in our love of basketball. The grounds are beautiful, located between towering mountains and a deep river gorge. So glad we chose this place to try a variety or wines.

We headed to Chard Farm Winery, a picturesque spot located on a rugged, winding road with views of…read morethe Kawarau Gorge. You will miss this winery if you're not looking for it. Known for its elegant Pinot Noir and vibrant whites, Chard Farm delivered exceptional wines with every pour.

Made an appointment here a couple of months ago to bring my mother and American boyfriend and was…read morevery excited to try the wines here but it was a really disappointing experience. We weren't made to feel welcome by the tasting person and she rushed us through the tastings without much info about the wines or the farms they came from. The tastings were $30NZ each and while we don't mind paying that price (and happily have for others), between the tiny pours from only three wines and the poor service we felt pretty ripped off. The wine was fine and we did buy a bottle of Riesling but we definitely had better in the Gibbston area. The peregrine tasting room is in a beautiful location but you'd never know it because there are no windows inside the room to showcase the incredible views. All in all, recommend skipping and hitting Kinross up the road instead.

We visited Peregrine as one of the final stops on our 2019 visit to the South Island, and were…read moreimpressed by both the wine and the knowledgeability of the staff. The winery is located off Highway 6 in the Gibbston Valley, and is an easy 20-minute drive east of the Queenstown airport (in fact, we visited on our way to catch a flight home). The winery itself is a striking design with a swooping roof that mimics a falcon's wingspan. The Cellar Door is literally in the cellar, and visitors can turn around from the translucent glass bar visitors to admire a concrete vault of wine barrels. The wine is good, including classic Central Otago pinot noir. They also made a remarkable dry riesling that moved us to purchase a bottle -- one of only two we purchased on our trip (the other was a bottle of champers from Cloudy Bay). What was really distinctive about our visit was the staff's expertise. Our host spoke knowledgeably about each wine, and offered a great deal of insight into the differences in the micro-terroir of the winery's vineyards. We know just enough about wine to know we have a lot more to learn, and we enjoyed the tutorial immensely. Even if you are just on a quick trip to Queenstown, Peregrine is close enough to put it within range for a quick visit. We recommend making the effort.

Kinross was our second winery (out of three) that we visited in the Gibbston area. We had no idea…read morebut they are purveyors for about 5 other small, boutique wineries. We dropped in on a Saturday morning (around 11:45am) and were able to squeeze in a wine tasting. You can do a guided tasting or else you can get a flight of wine and drink at your leisure. Both are the same price ($15.00 NZD) for 5 wine tastings. Get a guided one. You only get the fee waived if you make a purchase of at least $75.00 NZD (crazy). We had an excellent host that really knew his wines and described in detail the wine maker, flavours and food pairings that each wine would excel with. Really impressive. He even catered the wines to our preference so that we had 3 whites and 2 reds. They also have a food menu but it's pricey. Menu consisted of sharing, snack & sides, pizza and mains. The wood stove pizza oven outside looked pretty legit. - Rosé - off dry, lighter, paler rosé. You smell strawberries. Definitely one of the better rosés we've had. Perfect for summer drinking. - Pinot gris - very luscious, full body which was pretty unique for a pinot gris. Pairs well with lighter food. - Riesling ($29.00 NZD) - pear at the beginning and then cuts to a citrus acidy flavour. Off dry. Very nice and it's an organic wine. This would be good with spicy food. - Pinot noir - this one was a biodynamic wine ($47.00 NZD for a bottle). Pairs well with duck or a spicy lamb. - Pinot noir 2016 - softer tannens and smoother than other young pinot noirs. Another that excels with rabbit or gamey food. Fantastic, knowledgeable host. This was our favourite winery of the three that we tried in the area.

Kinross was an amazing experience! The cottages were relaxing and cozy, offering rest I hadn't had…read morein years! The wine tasting experience was a great deal and I loved how they showcased the different wineries in the area. The first evening was made complete with a pizza and a picnic hamper to complement the Kinross Pinot Noir. We sat at the picnic table on the hilltop that overlooked the vineyard with the mountainside as a backdrop. These elements made for a romantic atmosphere for when I proposed to my now fiancé . We received a breakfast box to make use of the kitchenette in the cottage and enjoyed the freshness of the specially curated menu. I could not have been more pleased with the experience at Kinross! I would give them 6 stars if I could!

Incredible tasting with great customer service. The ambience and views were incredible! We will…read moredefinitely be back!

Wet Jacket is a relatively-new winery that is worth a visit…read more The tasting room (once you find it) is quite novel. Rather than a large wall of bottles or lots of other visual noise, there is a simple table where you can sample ($5 a person) 4-5 of their nice wines. Wet Jacket does a Pinot Grigio, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and a Rosé among others. The wines are all nice and at a moderate price point. The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were my personal favourites. After sampling the wines, take time (on a nice day) to enjoy their beautiful outdoor space. Here you can grab a wine by the glass (your favourite from the tasting) and have a taco or cheese board from the Taco Medic food truck. The space out here is relaxing and the service is excellent. At the entry to the winery, there is a quaint cheese shop where you can sample and purchase some delicious cheeses as well.

Wonderful sport to sip and shop your favorite local and Australian wines. Purchase by the oz, 2 oz…read moreor 6 oz options of Reds , whites, blends and bubbles!

I came here for the whiskey and man, was it worth it. The card driven tastings were very appealing…read moreand so easy to manage. The whiskey selection here, although small, was of great quality. The wine selection is massive though, and they have good food selection to pair with your libation. Highly recommend stopping here for a few hours to drink.

Had a great day out around Queenstown's wineries. Our driver was very friendly and helpful and the…read morewine was superb. Mt Rosa was our favourite. My partner and I would definitely do it again

From the owner: Join our flexible & hassle-free local winery shuttle service. Departs daily from Queenstown at…read moremidday/12.00pm. With no set timetable & no stress, you simply discuss with your friendly onboard wine guide, the options of where you'd like to be dropped off to & picked up from. You will be well entertained with lots of freedom at an array of winery restaurants & tasting rooms, all highlighting our amazing Central Otago wines. There’s lots to do, such as wine & cheese tastings, or enjoying a local craft beer. All the wineries are very close together making it easy to give you the best day out & we'll have you back in town by 6pm approx. Our Wine Hopper service offers you the easiest way to enjoy the wineries at your own pace, in your own way, on the day. Check out our reviews & give us a call if you have any questions. Our Wine Hopper Bus is proudly locally owned & operated by a wine-only specialist company in Queenstown NZ.

What a gem of a winery! Friendly staff, great wine, amazing grounds, and love the venue. Decide on…read morea glass of wine or a flight to tantalize your taste buds with a variety of styles. Tasting fee is waived when you purchase two bottles of wine. Bar snacks and sharing are lates are available. Beautiful seating outside, either under the covering or out in the sunshine. The staff explains each wine with their extended knowledge of the varietals and wine making process. Fun and educational what a wonderful time.

What a wonderful experience this was! Gibbston Valley is NZ's South Island's equivalent to Napa…read moreValley in California. Tons of vineyards and wineries around this area. We chose Mt. Rosa for their reviews, and it looked pretty chill. We decided to sit outside, it was relaxing being able to wine taste about 5 of their wines. The smoked salmon board we ordered was very delicious also and complimented with the wines. The service was very friendly, helpful, and efficient. We took our time and did not feel rushed to go through with the tasting. We ended up getting 4 bottles of their wines and I am so excited to open them up during the holidays!

Our first day in New Zealand proved to be quite the adventure. Andrew picked us up right on time, a…read morekind and informative guide. We visited Gibston Valley, Brennan and Kinross. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Queenstown. Thank you Andrew for truly going above and beyond from the minute we "hopped" on your bus to follow through the next day. You truly made our experience a great one.

Queenstown Wine Trail was a very enjoyable experience!…read more We were picked up by Grant in Queenstown and took a 45 minute drive to our first stop on the 'Wine and Food sampler'. Our Fist stop was Wild Earth winery where we sampled three Pinot Noirs (the type of wine Central Otaga is most famous for, a Riesling, and a Pinot Gris. Each was paired with delicious, and well presented food items made in a unique wine barrel smoker - very cool! Our second stop was to the Gibbston Vally Winery were we toured their wine cellar cave. The cave was very fascinating, it housed at least one hundred barrels of wine and has a cut out where at least one bottle from each vintage is locked up in a special room. The cave is a constant 56 degrees Fahrenheit year round (amazing for a region with such drastic temperature changes throughout the year). We tasted some fantastic cheeses and wines! Grant then dropped us off back in Queenstown after a quick scenic tour and stop at a beautiful viewpoint. Overall, I highly recommend the tour!

We enjoyed the sweeping views during our tasting at Mt. Difficulty in 2019…read more The winery itself is perched on a ridge that offers beautiful sight lines to Lake Dunstan and the surrounding mountains, and we enjoyed relaxing and taking it all in on their patio. Honestly, the views alone were worth the $2 NZD tasting fee (based on their website, it looks like that fee may have been raised since our visit). They also poured plenty of wine to cover that fee. The wine itself was forgettable. There was a drinkable Chardonnay, and it helped us enjoy the views, but that's about it. The staff was pleasant, and although the cellar door got quite crowded by the time we departed, the facility was big enough to handle the scrum rather well. I'm rating this at a generous four for two reasons: (1) we enjoyed our visit, and honestly we enjoy tasting and talking about wine whether the juice is distinguished or not. (2) We didn't eat in their restaurant. The menu looked enticing, and I'll grant that this could have significantly elevated our good experience. If you're passing through on Highway 6, Mt. Difficulty is worth a stop on a sunny day.

Our second winery (of three) was at Mt. Difficulty after our server at another winery recommended…read morewe check this place out in Bannockburn. It's a very popular spot! We dropped in on a Tuesday (around noon) and it was busy. The restaurant (only open at lunch) was completely full so make sure you make reservations if you want to eat here. Your tastings get comped if you dine in otherwise it's only $2.00 NZD/person. You get 5 wine tastings (four regular wines plus one of your choice from the entire list). Our server, Nicki, was chatty and outgoing. We found out Bannockburn is known for their pinot noirs. - Roaring Meg central otago pinot noir 2014 - not as good as the second pinot noir. - Mt Difficulty Bannockburn pinot noir 2016 - this is their bread and butter winner. Very smooth and apparently goes great with Thai green curry. - Mt Difficulty Bannockburn sauvignon blanc 2016 - not as good as the ones we had in the Marlborough region. - Mt Difficulty Bannockburn target riesling 2016 - unmemorable. It was a medium sweet style. - Mt Difficulty long gully chenin blanc 2017 - this was delicious. It smells like guava and had a smooth, tropical citrus flavour to it. We considered getting a bottle ($30.00 NZD) but had too many already. - Roaring Meg Central Otago pinot noir rosé 2017 - this one was decent but it pales in comparison to the chenin blanc. Try/buy the chenin blanc! Another cool winery with a solid wine tasting.

This was another favorite on our tour of the wine country. The grounds are simple but stunning. An…read moreold church serves as the tasting room and the outdoor seating is just so relaxing. Sitting under a giant poplar with a cool breeze.... I went outside the box and ordered a flight of their brews which they plan on putting a brewery right on site in a few old shipping containers. I liked them so much, I bought a 6 pack which now makes my backpack weigh a few extra pounds. Their cider was sweet and refreshing after pedaling all day. I also really enjoyed their lager....light and a hint of sweetness. The porter was robust but not thick. Service was friendly and engaging. Another must on the wine tour.

A cellar door in a restored stone church? Sounds about right…read more Look, I'm not going to go into details about microclimates and soil profiles that make Gibbston one of the most splendid wine growing regions in the world, you'll just have to trust that drinking this wine, in this location, inside the walls of an old church is pretty damn amazing. Plus, the food is delicious! Of all the wineries in the region (trust that I've been to quite. a. few.) this was my favorite. It had as much to do with the friendly, helpful, non-pushy staff as it did the immensely drinkable wine. If you happen to be lucky enough to be there during Christmas time, grab as many of their Christmas cakes as they'll let you. You won't be sorry.