Gibbston is usually the first taste of Central Otago wine people get when they come to Queenstown. It’s a short run out of town through the Kawarau Gorge, and then you’re among the vines with big schist bluffs hanging over everything. Because it’s so close, there’s always one person in the group who says they’ll drive and “just have a sip” at each stop.
I’ve never seen that work past the third cellar door. Either the driver gets grumpy, or the sips get bigger. So here’s how I’d go about it instead.
Sort the driving out before anything else
It sounds backwards to pick transport before wineries, but it really does shape the day. When one of you is behind the wheel, you start choosing places by how close together they are, and you quietly skip the one up the steep gravel road. Take the driving away and you can just go where the wine is good and the view is worth it.
You’ve basically got three choices. A shared bus tour is cheapest, but you follow their loop and their clock. Taxis between cellar doors sound flexible, until you’re standing in a car park in the valley waiting for one. Or you hire a driver for the day. Going with a luxury chauffeur service in Queenstown costs more per head than the bus, no argument there, but you get picked up at your door, the car is just yours, and if you fancy another half hour at lunch nobody minds.
Three or four cellar doors is plenty
Everyone overdoes it. Six tastings looks fun on paper over breakfast. By mid-afternoon, it feels like homework. I’d stick to three or four, with a proper lunch somewhere in the middle.
A route I like, and roughly the one a couple of the private tours use, starts at Chard Farm, which sits high above the gorge on a road that’s an adventure on its own (give it 30 to 45 minutes). Next is Gibbston Valley Winery. Big name, busy tasting room, and there’s an underground wine cave you can poke around in for a few extra dollars. Kinross does lunch, and people rave about the wood-fired pizza there, so don’t rush it; an hour and a half is about right and it’s where everyone starts to unwind. Mt Rosa rounds it off. It’s small and friendly, they pour Pinot Noir and Riesling, and the whole place has a relaxed, personal feel to it.
Heading back, it’s worth pulling in at Ayrburn for a wander. It’s an old pastoral estate that’s been restored, the grounds are lovely, and twenty minutes of walking around after a day of tasting does you good.
Ring ahead in summer
Busy season means some cellar doors get booked out, groups especially. If there’s one place you really care about, book it. A good driver will usually know which spots need a reservation and which you can just walk into. And ask whether tastings are part of the price, because a lot of the time they’re not, and it’s annoying to find out at the counter.
Lunch, water, and the spit bucket
Boring advice, sorry. Still, look around at the last stop of any wine day and the cheerful ones are the people who ate a decent lunch and had a glass of water between pours. And nobody here will think twice if you use the spit bucket. It’s how you get to try more without the afternoon getting away from you.
What it might cost
It depends hugely on how you travel. To give you a real number, Queenstown Luxury Chauffeurs list their private Gibbston wine tour from $450 per person, running about five hours, with pickup from your accommodation plus water and music in the car. Tastings and lunch are on you. You can add their Gibbston Valley wine cave tour ($30), a sparkling wine welcome ($22) or an hour with a photographer ($45). It’s 18+ only.
A bus will work out cheaper per person, obviously. Just remember to set money aside for tastings and food whichever way you go.
Who should splash out
If you’re a small group who likes doing things at your own speed, a couple celebrating something, or you’re looking after clients or visiting family, a private driver is a nice way to do it. Backpacking on your own and watching every dollar? Take the bus and don’t feel bad about it.
What you’re after is a long lazy afternoon in the vines where nobody ends up on lemonade. Get the driving sorted first and the rest pretty much takes care of itself.
