How to Plan a Wine Tour From Queenstown

Queenstown in Otago South Island New Zealand with its scenic setting and pristine landscape is the most popular holiday destination in the country. Queenstown is also a part of a region that produces many wine varieties. The region is known in particular for its pinot noir. Fun and informative wine tours along the Queenstown wine trail are offered daily. Tasting of two or more wines at selected wineries, lunches and cheese tasting are tour highlights.

Step 1: Wine Region Near Queenstown

Central Otago the world’s southernmost wine region is close to Queenstown. The region's Pinot Noir, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay is the reason that visitors opt for tours to the region. The terrain and the climatic conditions of Otago lends itself to the production of excellent wines.

Step 2: Tour Planning

Wine tours can be planned on one’s own using information from the internet and a Google map. If unsure of how to set about it putting oneself in the hands of a tour company with experience in wine tours, is the best. When touring on one’s own cost can be kept down to a minimum as there is no charge for the vineyard tour and sometimes samples for tasting are provided free. However, many wineries have a small charge for wine sampling with additional charges for special wines and snacks to go with wines. A wine tour with a company will cost more as they will provide door to door transport and include more than one winery depending on the duration of the tour. Longer the trip the more expensive it will be as accommodation costs will need to be factored in. Package tours will cost less than individually tailored tours. For a regional tour allow at least three days. Select a tour within your budget and one that keeps travel time to a minimum allowing guests to sample a variety of wine and to enjoy local cheeses. In the alternative think of enjoying good wine and spending an afternoon in a single winery. Self-guided tours of wineries by bike is another way to discover wineries around Queenstown. A minimum of eight wineries can be visited on the nine kilometre easy riding Gibston River Trail with the help of a trail map. February to March is a good time to visit as this is the time the grapes are harvested. In terms of accommodation, you can consider staying at Oaks Shores, a popular Queenstown hotel where the location, the selection of spacious modern apartments and onsite facilities offer the ideal base from which to explore the Central Otago wine region.

Step 3: The Wine Tour

Once at the site, tours follow a pattern. Visitors are first taken on a walk through the vineyard where the guide explains the finer points of viticulture in the region such as the type of grapes grown to produce a particular wine. On returning from the yard, the different stages of wine making will be explained. Some wineries will allow visitors into the vast storage area where the wine is aged. Here they will be introduced to wine in stainless steel vats and oak barrels that are in different stages of aging. The importance of temperature control during aging will be explained here.

Step 4: Wine Tasting

Some wineries allow visitors to taste wines directly from the storage barrels. There are tickets attached to the barrels and once you have found a wine you like, take a ticket and purchase the bottle with the wine of your choice in the tasting area. The usual procedure is to take visitors to the tasting area after the tour of the facility. The wines produced by the winery are all displayed here. Visitors can taste different wines and pair them with different types of food selected from a menu. Some wineries offer picturesque locations for wine tasting and serve gourmet meals on certain days.

Wines can also be tasted right in the heart of Queenstown. Some wine cellars offer a great collection of local wines that can be selected from self-service wine machines. This is the type of place that offers wine tasting experiences for people who don’t have the time for wine tours. A tasting guide leads customers through a selection of New Zealand wines. First timers will find this really informative and a fun way to discover New Zealand wines.

The other option is tasting wines at cellar doors that offer a small selection of regional wines and also serve as restaurants.