Are you looking for a wine tour in Queenstown that entertains you in the afternoon? Look no further - you found it. We will introduce you to wines that will not only make your day but will certainly leave lasting memories. And the best of all: you don't have to drive - we will take you there!

Our exclusive Queenstown afternoon activity is designed for all those wine lovers who like to eat, taste, relax and converse.

Here is our suggestion what you could do: join our Wine & Culture tour. All you have to decide is if you would like to have an a la carte lunch with your wine tastings or not.You will visit 3 boutique wineries in Gibbston Valley. Those wineries will be either Waitiri Creek, Remarkable Wines, The Winehouse & Kitchen, Peregrine Wines or Chard Farm.

All wineries offer a relaxing atmosphere where you surely will be able to unwind, indulge in the wines, taste them, learn more about them or simply drink them.

Whether rain or sunshine, the enjoyment of this New Zealand food and wine experience is offered all year round (except on New Zealand Public Holidays):

Tours depart:
12:30 pm

Tours conclude:
4 pm

Tours include:
Pick up from your Queenstown accommodation
tastings at 3 boutique wineries
vineyard a la carte Lunch

Price per Adult for 12:30 pm departure: NZD150.--
Price per Child: NZD75.-- (up to 15 years of age)
Prices are valid from 1 October 2011 through to 30 September 2012.

Queenstown area was significantly settled due to the Central Otago Gold Rush in the 1860s. A French immigrant gold miner, Jean Desire Feraud, could not find his luck by digging for Gold but soon started planting vines and embarking upon small-scale commercial wine production.
Late in the 19th century, the New Zealand government hired a winemaker to survey the country. He singled out Central Otago as a region of utmost potential.

While this early experimentation showed the wine-growing potential of the region, the wine industry did not survive for long on a commercial basis. Once the gold rush abated, the Central Otago economy turned to sheep farming and fruit production, and — once the world began to discover the stark natural beauty of New Zealand to skiing and tourism.

Starting in the 1950s, and up through the end of the 1970s, small scale trial plantings of vines began again. Vineyard planting and production in New Zealand remained modest until the middle of the 1990s when the industry began to expand rapidly.

Central Otago hosts the world's most southerly vineyards. The are near the 45th parallel. Pinot Noir is the leading grape variety in Central Otago and is estimated to account for some 70% of plantings. The Pinot Noir is notoriously fikle and difficult to grow. Central Otago, however, with its combination of climate, terroir and determined winemaking appears to have the capacity to produce a world-class Pinot Noir that is increasingly sought-after. The grape there is producing elegant wines with great ageing potential that some experts believe will ultimately equal the best in the world.

The other 30% of production comes from Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer. The latter three in particular, amenable to Central Otago's climatic conditions and soil type, are showing great promise and may develop a reputation to match the Pinot Noirs.

Our Wine & Culture tour is one of those wine tours New Zealand that enable you to connect to this remarkable wine making industry in Queenstown. Join our tour into Skippers Canyon and combine this unparalleled journey with this living history in the backcountry of Queenstown.