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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

Gibbston Valley was our first winery (out of three) that we visited in the Gibbston area. They're a…read morevery popular spot; they also have a restaurant, cheesery and bikes for hire. We dropped in on a Saturday morning (around 10:30am) and the place was quite busy. They do daily tours for a fee. The inside has a wooden cabin glam to it that makes for a great place to drink. There's several options for their wine tastings (wine and chocolate tasting and oysters and bubbles were the most unique); they range in price from $5.00 to $30.00 NZD/person. Make sure you check out the cheesery on your way out (Gibbston Valley Cheese). - GV collection tasting ($5.00 NZD) - you get to taste three (out of five) of their newly released GV collection wines. We tried the pinot gris 2016 (very average), riesling 2016 (dry, sour tones of lemon and lime) and Gibbston Valley pinot noir 2014 (not as full bodied or luscious as others we've had. Didn't like the dry finish). The wines are expensive and service not very personable. Decent but we didn't like it as much as the other two wineries. 3.5 stars.

So I have two beefs here, but both are somewhat excusable given that our tasting experience was a…read moregood one, delivered by someone knowledgeable and passionate. Wifi is dreadful. Staff and management know its dreadful. Yet nothing has been done (yet). I tried (unsuccessfully at first) to get someone to take my money to ship to a friend in Australia. Despite my protestations that I wanted to do the order then and there and that I would be focused on getting home after leaving there, I was told to leave my credit card information and then send in the order to the manager by email. What a totally strange way of doing things, but thankfully the order did make it to my friend. I got an email about 48 hours after sending in an order. Don't make it hard for your customers to give you money.

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.

A beautiful winery set amidst soaring mountains producing elegant pinots, Pinot Gris and more…read more We visited Peregrine as a part of a tour with Matthew from NZ win tours. We had asked him to take us to small, boutique wineries where the passions of the winemaker combine with terroir to produce something special. This was our first stop. They specialize in Bio-dynamic farming techniques which you can taste in their wines. The award-winning Soaring building looks like the hideout for Dr No or some othe Bond character with a distinctive angled roof. Inside the tasting room is sleek and modern with a long tasting bar. We had the opportunity to taste quite a variety of wines including a delicious rose-that was delicious with fresh strawberry and was a light pink hue-would be perfect for summer. In addition we tried the Pinot Gris-signature wine-very refreshing; Chardonnay-buttery not my favorite and several Pinot noirs including 2011 and 2015 (fresh and ready to age)-promising. Finally we tasted the Saddleback pinot 2016 -much more red fruit, a bit jammy-great for a summer bbq. All in all a great winery with nice wines in a distinctive setting. Recommended

Probably our favorite stop today. The grounds are well manicured and the building design has…read morereceived architectural awards. It is very modern and sleek although not cozy like some of the other tasting rooms so it makes you feel like you can't really linger. Anyway, our tasting was free since we bought a bottle. The Rose was crisp and refreshing after riding bikes a few hours. This pinot was also quite tasty. 2 Reislings...one was the typical super sweet while the other was more balanced. In any case, we purchased a bottle of the Rose. Service was great. A must stop on the wine trail.