What a fabulous place! My partner and I stopped here spontaneously on our way to Queenstown from…read moreWanaka. We had no idea what to expect, but we really stumbled on a gem. The tasting room is an adorable little cottage filled with wines and happiness. We got a taste of some Pinot Gris and a few Pinot noirs, mostly hand made by the adorable family that runs the place. I love the fact that the wines are all organic and made old-school style. We had a little chat with the guy running the place, he was super friendly and told us quite a bit about their wine practices and how they are made (I LOVE to talk wine so I was a huge fan of this). We ended up buying a bottle of the estate Pinot noir to take back to Queenstown and had it with dinner a few nights later - such a great pairing with pizza and Queenstown sunsets

A quaint winery off Hwy6, with Pinot varietals. Great experience as we were served by winemaker…read moreLucie. The Pinot Noir is characteristic of The region light bodied, slight acidity, light tannins. They also have a selection of fortified dessert wines which was delicious. Got a bottle of the Port Molyneux, a light white port wine.

I asked my wife, "how did you find and decide on this winery, The Cloudy Bay Shed?" Because it was…read morean amazing experience! We passed by at least half a dozen wineries/vineyards, driving from Queenstown to Wanaka. One of the reasons besides its beautiful views, was that it wasn't touristy. There's no tours available to take you here, so it's not those tourist trap places where you get the generic experience that'll usually involve shopping. That's a good point! You can make reservations online for lunch or wine tasting, or both. It wasn't busy when we went, but still recommended. While driving on the highway, don't be too focused on the beautiful, pristine, majestically blue body of water known as the Clutha River, because the entrance to the Cloudy Bay Shed is right across. You'll drive up a dirt driveway, and make a left to another dirt path. You'll see a small parking lot, which might suggest you park there, but keep driving up, and you'll reach the correct parking lot at the main entrance. We arrived much earlier than our reservation time, which gave us the chance to freely walk around the grounds, and wow, what a beautiful and relaxing place! The trees, grass, bushes were green and very well-maintained. There's even a small pond right in the middle adding onto the already picturesque landscape of the snow-capped mountain range and Clutha River. I feel I could sit here for hours! But lunch awaits! In "The Shed", there's a wine tasting room where you can also purchase many different types of Cloudy Bay wines from different years. After that is the dining/restaurant area, which is big and spacious with only a few tables, and big glass doors and windows that faces the beautiful scenery of the pond, mountain range, and rows of trees. It is definitely quite homey and comfortable, quiet and peaceful. The menu is not expansive, but it was hard not to order everything! There's a little Asian/Japanese influence is a few of the dishes. We thought the Chef might've been Japanese. Her name was Chef Momo. We found out she is Nepalese, but studied Japanese cuisine. Nice! We started with the Tuna Tartare Taco. This was delicious! Uber fresh cubed of diced ahi tuna that was very nicely seasoned, topped with fried shallots, chili pepper, and pickled onion. The creme fraiche went really well with this, and the wonton skin was fried nicely, and held onto it's crispiness. Next was the Fiordland Venison Tataki, and WoW, what an amazing dish that was wonderfully prepared, and visually pleasing. The venison was really fresh, tender, and very well seasoned. The highlight of the dish was the char and smoky taste that added new dimension to the already flavorful sauce with the beetroot, quince, chestnuts, and edible flowers and herbs. The Market Fish for this menu was the Blue Warehou with spring greens and cauliflower. The fish was nicely prepared--moist and fresh with a meaty and flaky white flesh, and a crispy crust. Lastly we had the Lake Ohau Wagyu Short Rib in a BBQ Glaze with Jerusalem artichoke and silverbeet. The short rib was amazing! Tender, well seasoned, and perfectly cooked. Personally would have like a bit more of the BBQ glaze. The roasted artichokes were really good. Crispy skin, and soft and toasty meat. The silverbeet or Swiss chard was almost Kim chee like in taste. Don't forget the wine! We ordered the Te Koko Sauvignon Blanc and Te Wahi Pinot Noir. These two wines were very smooth and the tastes were really clean with distinct notes. We learned these wines go through strict evaluations, and would only proceed with the winemaker's approval, which has been disapproved before. Overall, The Cloudy Bay Shed was a memorable and an amazing experience. The whole property was very well maintained with stunning views. It was quiet and peaceful, and just an overall relaxing environment. The Shed itself was clean, spacious, comfortable, and quiet and peaceful as well. The staff there were very friendly, informative, and pleasant. Our server was attentive and friendly, and gave clear descriptions of each dish. I highly recommend stopping by here!

The Cloudy Bay Shed had the best overall selection of wines among the four wineries we visited in…read moreCentral Otago in 2019. Their vineyard is about an hour's drive from Queenstown, including a scenic, winding route through the Gibbston Valley (it's also on the main road between Queenstown and Mt. Aoraki/Cook). It's well worth the hike. The property includes vineyards, a sleek tasting room, an expansive lawn on which to enjoy your flights, and friendly staff (we flew to the other side of the world to meet an American host behind the bar, and that's par for the course in New Zealand). Tastings run 3 wines for $10 NZD and 5 for $15. The wines available for tasting included both those made from grapes grown on the property as well as their Marlborough vineyards. The quality was consistently high across both the red and white flights we tasted. We had a voucher from our hotel for a free tasting, but we also ended up buying a bottle of their bubbly, the Pelorus, for later on in our trip. It was outstanding. They do have a menu of light fare available (https://www.cloudybay.co.nz/sites/cloudybay.co.nz/files/asset/document/the_cloudy_bay_shed_summer_menu_2020-2021.pdf). Cloudy Bay also offers an array of more boutique experiences like vineyard tours and private tastings/meals on their website (https://us.cloudybay.co.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!

It was a rainy, dreary day so we decided to stop at a couple wineries coming from Wanaka. Our first…read morewinery (of three) was at Wooing Tree Vineyard. We dropped in on a Tuesday morning (10:45am). There were a few others tasting but other than, it was dead. Our server was friendly but the pours leaned towards the small side. Wine tastings are $5.00 NZD/person and you get to sample 5 wines. Interestingly, they only waive the fee for each bottle that you buy per person that tasted. That was a first. - Rosé 2017 - off dry, tasted strawberry tones. Pretty decent. - Pinot gros 2016 - we liked this one. Nice full bodied with a touch of dryness. - Chardonnay 2016 - Beetle juice pinot noir 2016 - we liked this the best. Portions of sales go to helping the endangered beetles in this area. We bought a bottle ($28.00 NZD). - Pinot noir 2013 Decent little winery but we enjoyed the other two wineries that we stopped at more.

Wooing Tree is a nice winery with friendly service…read more Here you can choose from a range of wines, enjoy lunch, and hear the story of the Wooing Tree, which is located right outside in the vineyard (I won't spoil it for you.) While I did not relish every wine I tried, I was a huge fan of the Blondie...a light, white dream of a wine. Definitely make Wooing Tree a place on your winery list.

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.

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 stumbled upon this winery on our travels through the South Island and were glad we did. It is…read moreset in lovely garden in gorgeous scenery and the host was very entertaining and helpful. We had a tasting session of 6 of his wines for 15 NZ dollars and my friends had the cheese board as well. The wine can be shipped, and it was, straight down my throat! lol....throughly recommend. Monty the cat was a pleasant guest at our table!

We were on an all-day wine tour with Roaring Wine Tours, and Three Miners was our last - and…read moreperhaps BEST - stop. One of the very friendly owners told us about the origins of the vineyard and different types of wine they produce. They are getting a lot of awards and recognition in the Central Otago region as well, and I definitely understand why. We thought their wines were some of the best we tasted (and no, not just because it was our last stop of the day!), and we brought home some of their award winning Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir all the way back to the US. It looked like you could also purchase some cheese and snacks and enjoy some of their wines outdoors. Definitely recommend putting Three Miners on your Central Otago vineyard touring list!!