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Wine Tours - Appellation Central Wine Tours

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Description

Central Otago is one of New Zealand’s most exciting new wine regions. It is an amazing place, blessed with a landscape that has been an inspiration to many early pioneers, artists and now the winemakers.

Departing daily from Queenstown our small group wine tours venture into the heart of Central Otago, to vineyards in the Gibbston Valley, and the lesser visited Bannockburn and Cromwell regions, offering a taste of Central Otago wines, the scenery and colorful pioneering history. Accompanied by an experienced and friendly guide, we share our passion for wine and the region leaving you with a richer insight into wine tasting and this unique region.

The Pinot Noirs from Central Otago are world class and the true stars of the region, however, there are many premium quality white wines with Pinot Gris, Riesling and Chardonnay’s to suit most tastes. As the groups are small, we can choose the best vineyards for the group on the day – with over 22 cellar doors available, your guide will ensure you go to the right ones for you!

We don't thinkg you can appreciate the local vineyards in a large group, so we keep our groups to an absolute maximum of 11 adults on each tour – small enough to be interactive and personalised, but large enough to be a social event.

Tour Options

Boutique Tour
Featuring the region’s boutique vineyards, the hidden gems of Central Otago. We visit four boutique vineyards located in the Gibbston Valley and Bannockburn. Included in the price is a delightful platter style lunch at Carrick Winery.

Gourmet Tour
Food and wine lovers gastronomic delight showcasing the regions award winning wines and fine cuisines. We taste wines at five vineyards located in Gibbston, Cromwell and Bannockburn with highlights including an underground tour of a wine cave, a cheese and wine tasting, and a platter style lunch at Northburn Station, a high country sheep station and vineyard.

Nature Walk & Wine Tour
A relaxed and leisurely Lakeshore Forest & Bird guided walk followed by Appellation Central's Boutique Wine Tour. New Zealand Guided Nature Walks and Appellation Central Wine Tours have come together to create this exclusive full day experience.

Trip Includes

Boutique Tour:

• Pick up from accommodation or central Queenstown
• Tasting wines at four boutique vineyards
• A vineyard platter style lunch at Carrick winery
• Visit old Cromwell Town & local fruit stall (time permitting)
• Complimentary bottled water

Gourmet Tour:

• Pick up from accommodation or central Queenstown
• Tasting wines at five premium vineyards
• Tour of an underground wine cave
• Mid-morning cheese tasting
• Delightful platter lunch at Northburn Station vineyard
• Visit old Cromwell Town & local fruit stall (seasonal with time permitting)
• Complimentary bottled water

Nature Walk & Wine Tour:

• Pick up from accommodation or central Queenstown
• 2-3 hr Lakeshore guided nature walk and morning tea snack
• Tasting at 4 wineries in the Gibbston Valley, Cromwell and Bannockburn regions
• A delightful platter style lunch at Carrick Winery restaurant
• A stunning drive through the Kawarau Gorge whilst learning about the early pioneering history of this rugged region
• Complimentary bottled mineral water during wine tour

Duration

• Boutique Wine Tour - allow 5 hours
• Gourmet Wine Tour - allow 7 hours
• Nature Walk & Wine Tour - allow 9 hours

Departures

• Boutique Wine Tour - 12pm (returns by 5pm)
• Gourmet Wine Tour - 9.30am (returns by 4.30pm) 
• Nature Walk & Wine Tour - 8am (returns by 5pm)
• Pick up from your Queenstown or Arrowtown accommodation
• Operates daily all year (except public holidays)

Other Information

• Bring your camera, a warm top and sunglasses
• We specialise in highly personalised tours with a maximum of 11 people per tour
• We are happy to accommodate any special dietary requirements, so please advise on booking
• Appellation Central Wine Tours are Winners of the Great Wine Capitals “Best of Wine Toursim Services” award – 2011 – Domestic winner, 2012 – International winner
• We are Qualmark Visitor endorsed, and have Qualmark Green, Silver status

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