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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

Fantastic dining experience at Amisfield dinner tasting menu. It's a visual, educational, and…read moredelicious journey. Throughout the entire 3+ hour experience the staff was knowledgable, friendly, and painted a beautiful picture about each dish and its connection to New Zealand. Highly recommend. We also added on the wine pairing to taste through their current wine offerings. All wines were great but their selection of Pinot Noir was the best.

Horrific experience with the host/hostess. We bought an expensive bottle of their Pinot and opted…read moreout of taking a bag cause we are eco like that. Host acted as though I stole the bottle. We let it go and asked for a table outside in order to buy another bottle and sit outside to enjoy. They said nothing was open and they had to turn tables over for dinner (it was 4:30 pm). We left only to see two other couples come on after and get seated. It was either they are homophobes or we didn't fit the aesthetic they were hoping for. Either way we won't be back and don't recommend it. We left and went to @ChardFarms down the way. The staff was AMAZING and the Pinot was so much better. #poorcustomerservice

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 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.

We stumbled upon this place and it is just opening. What a find!!! The view is stunning,…read moreabsolutely stunny. One of the most beautiful wineries I have been in. It is small but worth the visit. There is no food yet but once officially open they will apparently be having platters. And on top of the friendly service and the amazing view, the wine was spectacular. The top of the line pinot was brilliant (and yes we bought some). We would highy recommend this place