Wineries

There's new gold in this picturesque valley -- liquid gold, in the form of prizewinning wine! Central Otago's rugged hillsides are clad in lush vineyards that produce some of the country's most distinctive wines. Pinot noir (85% of the total plantings), chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, and Riesling varieties are well suited to the hot summer days and cool nights. Since 1990, Central Otago pinot noir has topped its class five times in national wine competitions. Pick up the free brochure The Central Otago Wine Map, which locates the major wineries. Study it carefully and choose the wineries that best suit your preferences. It's by far the best, most concise overview of the entire wine industry in this region.

New vineyards are coming on stream all the time as the region's 686 hectares (1,694 acres) -- and expanding -- mature and many are developing new winery and restaurant complexes. There are now more than 70 vineyards in the region. The Queenstown and Wanaka visitor centers can provide a comprehensive map and brochure of the Central Otago wine industry to make your self-drive exploration more satisfying and straightforward. For more information check www.otagowine.com or www.cowa.org.nz.

You could easily spend a whole day in the Bannockburn area alone, as there are dozens of wineries here. If you're on a tight schedule, though, and want to maximize your time, I suggest you take a wine tour.

The Wine Tours

Queenstown Wine Trail (tel. 0800/827-8464 in NZ, or 03/441-3990; www.queenstownwinetrail.co.nz) offers a 5-hour tour with an informed commentary and tastings at four wineries. This includes a winery lunch and a visit to a cheesery. Tour prices start at NZ$129 per person and operate all year. If this tour is booked, try Appellation Central Wine Tours (tel. 03/442-0246; www.appelationcentral.co.nz), which will take you to the rapidly expanding Bannockburn and Cromwell vineyard regions, where you’ll explore many of the best new vineyards. It has two daily options, one including lunch in the historic town of Clyde. Prices range from NZ$165 to NZ$215 per person. If you don’t have time to get to the vineyards at all, visit Wine Tastes New Zealand Wine Experience, 14 Beach St., Queenstown (tel. 03/409-2226; www.winetastes.com), which carries a selection of over 700 of New Zealand’s best wines, over 80 of them available to taste by the glass. They’re right in the center of town and are open daily from 10am to 10pm. They can also organize the packaging and shipment of your purchased wines to your home.