Gourmet Food, Wine and Cheese Tour from Queenstown
5
Gourmet Food, Wine and Cheese Tour from Queenstown
By Appellation Wine Tours
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About
Explore the Central Otago wine region on this small-group wine tour from Queenstown. Sample delicious New Zealand wines at several wineries, and snack on cheeses and a gourmet lunch—all accompanied by a guide who makes it easy to find the best wineries in this renowned region. Also stop at the country’s largest wine cave, and hear about the Otago Gold Rush at the Cromwell Heritage Precinct.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 18-99, max of 12 per group
Duration: 6h 30m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
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Highlights
- Taste top wines and enjoy a gourmet lunch in renowned Central Otago
- Discover great wines on a tour suitable for both novices and enthusiasts
- Travel with 12 people maximum for a personalized small-group wine tour
- Hassle-free tour with convenient pickup and drop-off at Queenstown hotels
- An exquisite lunch consisting of 5 dishes cooked in retired oak barrels and matched with wines.
- Wine tastings at 4 vineyards over 3 contrasting wine sub-regions
- Knowledgeable Wine Guide with fascinating commentary
- Transport by luxury vehicle
- Enjoy a lovely cheese platter which accompanies one of the wine tastings
- Entry/Admission - Gibbston Valley Winery
- Entry/Admission - Cromwell
What's not included- Gratuities
- Alcoholic drinks or wine purchases (available to purchase)
- Kick off your tour with morning pickup from your Queenstown hotel and a scenic drive into New Zealand's Central Otago, one of the world's premier cool-climate wine regions. Stop at Gibbston Valley Winery for a tasting inside its spacious wine cave—the largest in the country—then continue to two more wineries for tastings and a gourmet lunch paired with fine wine. After your meal, head to Old Cromwell (time permitting), the site of New Zealand's largest gold rush, which occurred in Central Otago during the 1860s. The final tasting takes place at a winery in Cromwell or Bannockburn, and comes with locally crafted cheeses. Your full-day wine tour ends with return to your Queenstown hotel in the late afternoon.
- Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.Pickup details
- Please note we will provide you with an exact pickup time when you have chosen your hotel. If your hotel is not listed, please advise your accommodation details and we will get back to you with the nearest pick up point.
Additional pickup optionsDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included pickup points.- Marmolada Cafe, 43 Camp Street, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
- Rydges Lakeland Resort Queenstown, 38-54 Lake Esplanade, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
- Sherwood Manor and Gold Ridge Hotels, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
- Millennium Hotel Queenstown, 32 Frankton Road, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
- Crowne Plaza Queenstown, an IHG Hotel, 93 Beach Street, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
- Hensman Road / Oaks Shores, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
- Frankton Terminus, Frankton, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
- RD Petroleum Arrowtown, 25 Wiltshire Street, Arrowtown 9302, New Zealand
- Heritage Queenstown, 91 Fernhill Road, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
- Kamana Lakehouse, 139 Fernhill Road, Fernhill, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
- Mercure Queenstown Resort, 21 Sainsbury Road, Fernhill, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
- Hotel St Moritz Queenstown - MGallery Collection, 10/18 Brunswick Street, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
- The Rees Hotel, Luxury Apartments & Lakeside Residences, 377 Frankton Road, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 3663P4- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- A minimum of 2 people is required for the tour to run
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Minimum age is 18 years
- Most travellers can participate
- This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 3663P4
From
$299.00
per adult
Select date and travellers
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- 757brucef0 contributionsMust do excellent experience in South New ZealandExcellent wines ! My group had a total of 20 glasses of wines from 4 different wineries. Everyone of them was excellent in terms of the wine quality. I had even purchased a rose which I had neither drank nor ever bought one before which speaks real great volume to the kind of quality they recommends to the table. Outdoor lunch was super delicious with an excellent view. Our guide is engaging, super knowledgeable, enthusiastic about wines and had hours of real conversation with everyone in the group. I could not be more satisfied with the choice to go with this tour !Written 30 November 2024
- pk73240 contributionsNice afternoon with some interesting winesVisited 4 different vinyards - 2 were top notch, another 2 was a joke. However given the price point of the tour, I think that’s ok. Tour guide was nice and accommodative. Lunch was good with respect to the price.Written 29 November 2024
- Bernie B0 contributionsThoroughly enjoyable boutique wine tour!We did the boutique wine tour from Queenstown, and we had a perfect day. Our guide Lindsay was lovely. He picked us up on time and gave us lots of interesting tips about the region throughout the day. It was a small group of 12 travellers, which was ideal. We visited 4 wineries and stopped for an amazing lunch at The Stoaker Room at Cromwell. A thoroughly enjoyable day. I recommend you do this tour.Written 25 November 2024
- Departure630634807650 contributionsCheersA really fun day with some very good wines and lots of entertaining and informative guidance from John. A small group ensures good interaction at all four wineries visited. The lunch was very good and I certainly fell more knowledgeable about Central Otago than I was before. if you're in the Queenstown area then I recommend this tour to you without hesitation.Written 21 November 2024
- r8chel_h0 contributionsGreat afternoon vineyard experienceWe had a really lovely afternoon with Donna our guide - good variety of wineries and great vineyard facts. I made an error with the booking and appreciated the office staff helping me make changes. Only issue was tour said a max of 12 however there were 14 of us on the trip so not quite as described.Written 20 November 2024
- ncthatcher700 contributionsPleasant tour of wineriesInteresting wineries. We enjoyed tasting the various wines that each offered. Drive through the countryside was very enjoyable.Written 17 November 2024
- Companion103707128190 contributionsFantasticGreat driver and very knowledgeable afternoon ran very smoothly.........thanks Paul. Great wineries. Had a wonderful afternoon.Written 28 October 2024
- Julie P0 contributionsGreat day outWe had a great day with plenty of wine to taste and variety of wines. Our bus driver was lovely and we were very comfortable. Lunch was plentiful and great to see local produce used. I would have liked a sparkling wine taster to be included but overall very happy and would recommend.Written 9 October 2024
- FoodnTravelreviews0 contributionsGreat way to spend a couple of hoursAnother great way to spend time while in Queenstown. It was a very rainy day and so it was perfect to be driven around and still see some sights. Visited a winery and had a tasting, got to see the bunjee jumping site and watch someone jump, and just enough time in Arrowtown to grab a coffee.Written 29 September 2024
- andreamK7330EJ0 contributionsGreat DayGreat day, lunch was delicious. Friendly guide who picked us from our hotel (on time, which is always good). The wine cave and Mt Rosa Wines were the highlights.Written 16 September 2024
- julie d0 contributionsAmazing day tour guide was great we had Paul as our guideFabulous day Paul was our tour guide he was so good we really enjoyed the day. Really great day I recommend to anyone thanks so muchWritten 14 September 2024
- annalisa19660 contributionsWonderful ExperienceDo not hesitate to book this tour! We went in late June (early wintertime), and it was wonderful...scenery, weather, wines, food. Due to the time of year, the vineyards were not crowded, but the weather was lovely, and we were given a fair amount of attention at each of our stops. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and humorous. Van was comfortable. Tour moved along nicely, but did allow for some lingering and interactions with the proprietors and other travelers. Was one of the highlights of our time on the South Island. Enjoy.Written 11 September 2024
- C2608GPlouisek0 contributionsFantastic tour highly recommend!!We had a brilliant time, the tour guide John on the bus was great fun and so accommodating to the group. Visited Nockies, Gibbston and Brennans and they were all a great laugh with lovely staff who very knowledgeable. Excellent way to spend half a day in Queenstown and I highly recommendWritten 11 September 2024
- Aaron W0 contributionsAmazing wine tourThe tour was excellent. Beautiful people and amazing wine and food. Compliments to the guide Muzza he had a great knowledge of the wine areas and the wine.Written 31 August 2024
- brandonr7260 contributionsExceptional Wine Tour!Experience was awesome . Our driver John was extremely knowledgeable both with the wine region and with the vneyards we visited. Mt Rosa was the best of the 3 we visited. The drive was spectacular and had a good group for the day. I would definitely go out with this tour in the future. Thanks again John!Written 2 July 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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5.0
218 reviews
Excellent
208
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BDuffy74
Pukekohe, New Zealand31 contributions
From start to finish this was a great day out. Comfortable van to travel in, great destinations, excellent wines and food, along with the perfect tour guide made for it to be a well spent day!
We have done several tours previously in different regions, but none as good as this. We were collected from our hotel on time, the wineries picked were excellent with excellent hosts at each venue.
The lunch stop was fabulous with a great meal accompanied by wines.
What really makes the day though, and separates this from other tours, was our tour guide, Gary. He struck a perfect balance of humour & banter, and has obviously taken the time to learn the full detail of the region and was able to impart his knowledge in an informing manner, without being over the top.
There are many companies offering wine tasting tours in Central Otago. We lucked out by choosing Appellation to go with and recommend you do the same. If you get the chance to request Gary as your guide then do so, he made it an awesome day.
We have done several tours previously in different regions, but none as good as this. We were collected from our hotel on time, the wineries picked were excellent with excellent hosts at each venue.
The lunch stop was fabulous with a great meal accompanied by wines.
What really makes the day though, and separates this from other tours, was our tour guide, Gary. He struck a perfect balance of humour & banter, and has obviously taken the time to learn the full detail of the region and was able to impart his knowledge in an informing manner, without being over the top.
There are many companies offering wine tasting tours in Central Otago. We lucked out by choosing Appellation to go with and recommend you do the same. If you get the chance to request Gary as your guide then do so, he made it an awesome day.
Written 20 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jamie
2 contributions
Aug 2020
We had the best time on this wine tour. Logan was our guide for the day and he was so much fun and very knowledgeable. I would recommend this tour to anyone wanting to do a wine tour in Queenstown and make sure they ask for Logan as their guide! The food was so so amazing and filling- one of the best meals I've ever had. The wine was so divine and you get generous amounts. Had the best day.
Written 23 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Jamie,
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review and a great recommendation! Logan does an excellent job and he'll be happy to hear you had such an amazing day. We look forward to seeing you next time you want some 'divine' wine!
Thanks,
Gary
Written 25 August 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
MiltonMunro
Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand3 contributions
Jun 2020
We have just arrive back after an awesome day touring the Central Otago wine region. The food was amazing (thanks to The Stoker Room in Cromwell) and the wine was superb. Our host Gary was both knowledgeable on the wine and the region, and spun an excellent yarn to boot. His expertise was the icing on already fantastic day. I can’t recommend this anymore highly! Thanks Gary and thanks Appellation.
Written 13 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Milton, thank you so much for the wonderful review and recommendation - especially appreciated in this day and age! Our vineyard partners in Bannockburn, Cromwell and Gibbston are pretty excellent as is Gary!! Thanks again for your support and if you wish to tour with Appellation Wine Tours in the future, we'll be sure to organise a different line-up of vineyard visits for you. Best regards, Lise.
Written 15 June 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Isabelmaria
Auckland, New Zealand3 contributions
May 2022
I am a solo traveller and averse to any large group coach tours. Having a free Sunday in Queenstown, which I have visited before, this excursion was just the thing embodying quality wines, great food with a small group of like-minded people with an opportunity to see the wine producing sub regions of Cromwell and Bannockburn.
Paul, our driver and guide, delivered an informal but informative commentary on local history, especially the history of local goldfields and the uniqueness of the wine growing areas.
The vineyards we visited were unique in various ways with wonderful wines. Our lunch at Stoaked, was tasty and plentiful and cooked in what were formerly Pinot Noir wine barrels. I hesitated initially about this tour as I tend to be budget minded when traveling but this was a case of "remembering the experience long after you forget the cost. " Definitely worth it.
I would recommend this tour to anyone for it adds an extra dimension to the Queenstown experience.
Paul, our driver and guide, delivered an informal but informative commentary on local history, especially the history of local goldfields and the uniqueness of the wine growing areas.
The vineyards we visited were unique in various ways with wonderful wines. Our lunch at Stoaked, was tasty and plentiful and cooked in what were formerly Pinot Noir wine barrels. I hesitated initially about this tour as I tend to be budget minded when traveling but this was a case of "remembering the experience long after you forget the cost. " Definitely worth it.
I would recommend this tour to anyone for it adds an extra dimension to the Queenstown experience.
Written 29 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Renee T
12 contributions
Sept 2023 • Family
I truly couldn't recommend this tour enough. The company immediately was in touch after booking to ask about any dietary restrictions and coordinate pickup. We weren't staying at any of the hotels and they offered to pick us up at our air bnb which was so considerate. They also took into account our dietary restrictions and we still received a full meal with replacements for what we couldn't eat. The guides (we had two because one was in training) were kind, knowledgeable, and just altogether fun to be with. They answered all of our questions both about the wineries and the geography which was great as an out of towner. The wineries were incredible and it's obvious the company and guides have a good relationship with them because they gave us the VIP treatment and we tried more wines than I think were on the docket. We even had time to stop in Arrowtown and wander around a little bit which was an added bonus as it's somewhere on my list that I otherwise wouldn't have time to visit. All in all, you absolutely get your monies worth, get to taste some fantastic wines, learn about the area, and spend time with lovely folks all day. If you're debating which tour to choose, I would highly recommend this one!
Written 12 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Renee, we really appreciate your complementary words and love that you were so perceptive to everything your Gourmet Wine Tour had to offer. Thanks so much for taking the time to review and recommend us and we hope you have an opportunity to visit our amazing wine country with us again in the future. Cheer Lise
Written 18 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ziva W
Madison38 contributions
We had a marvelous time on this trip. Our day was expertly managed by a knowledgable and charming driver (Gary) who drove us through stunning scenery to 4 vineyards which served excellent wine. Each stop offered 4-5 wines to sample which showcased the wide variety of high quality wine made here. One stop included a 5 dish lunch with wine pairings. the food was gourmet and uniquely prepared using retired wine casks as grills and served on barrel staves. Simply an outstanding day!!
Written 12 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there, thanks for taking the time to review us. The Gourmet Wine Tour, as you say, makes for an outstanding day. We really appreciate your favourable comments on lunch at the Stoaker Room, our choice of vineyards, and our fantastic, guide, Gary. We certainly feel proud of our local wine sub regions and privileged to be able to help showcase the incredible wines on offer in this part of the world. Thanks again and we hope that we may have an opportunity of welcoming you out again in the future. Warm regards. Lise
Written 3 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kate
Christchurch26 contributions
We went with the $249 jet boat and wine tour package. It was well worth it considering the prices of jet boats around and trying to go around the wineries yourself.
The winery was an awesome tour, Martin was very friendly and knowledgeable about the area and all the wineries. We are a young couple used to $12 supermarket wines and the tour hosts were all lovely and taught us all about the wines and didn’t mind our undistinguished palette 😂 tour is a bit quiet at the moment due to lack of tourism in level 2 but we didn’t feel awkward or quiet at all it was fantastic.
Lunch was amazing (I assumed it would be crackers or microwaveable meals as standard on bus tours) but it was really high quality, delicious and memorable. Thank you Martin for a great day.
The winery was an awesome tour, Martin was very friendly and knowledgeable about the area and all the wineries. We are a young couple used to $12 supermarket wines and the tour hosts were all lovely and taught us all about the wines and didn’t mind our undistinguished palette 😂 tour is a bit quiet at the moment due to lack of tourism in level 2 but we didn’t feel awkward or quiet at all it was fantastic.
Lunch was amazing (I assumed it would be crackers or microwaveable meals as standard on bus tours) but it was really high quality, delicious and memorable. Thank you Martin for a great day.
Written 23 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for taking the time to leave such an extensive and awesome review! We are very competitively priced and glad to hear you got so much out of the day.
We also love having guests on tour who are new to wine so that we can show off the region and teach you a bit about the wonderful world of wine!
I will pass your thanks onto Martin, he does a fantastic job.
Thanks,
Gary
Written 16 October 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Chopchop21
Sydney, Australia115 contributions
Apr 2021 • Couples
My wife and I booked through a recommendation from our hotel (Rees). Great wine tour made much more enjoyable because of our tour guide Gary. Learnt a lot about the history of wine in central Otago and the wineries we went to all produced great wines. No hassle or hard sell and lunch at the Stoker room was an amazing experience. Would highly recommend booking this tour if you want to taste great wines, learn about central Otago wine region and have some fun.
Written 26 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heather
Waikato Region, New Zealand14 contributions
Jul 2020
I had a wonderful day. While the rest of my family were on the slopes I was thoroughly enjoying, great wine, great company and great food! . Martin our tour guide was fantastic. The wineries were all lovely. The lunch cooked in the old wine barrels was a great novelty, and rather delicious. I loved seeing so much of Otago and Martin was full of fantastic knowledge about the area. Appellation Wine Tours were a very professional and very friendly company to deal with. I would HIGHLY recommend this tour for anyone that enjoys wine.
Written 22 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Heather, thank you for taking the time to review Appellation Wine Tours, our Gourmet Food & Wine Tour and the wonderful Martin. (Your review has been forwarded to Martin). Your positive comments and recommendation mean a lot to us and naturally we are honoured that you chose a full day out with us over the ski fields!! Do let us know if you have an opportunity to taste great wines and food again in the near future. Warm regards, Lise
Written 23 July 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
InvestorGal
Queenstown, New Zealand17 contributions
Jul 2021
Our guide Michael was knowledgeable and professional and fun! I thoroughly enjoyed the tour . I especially loved Gibbston Valley’s cave tasting. The gourmet lunch was less gourmet than large in portions.... over cooked venison, over cooked chicken. Ho hum. Also, it doesn’t seem like changing wine glasses is common here unlike in other countries..... For the price point, based on the loose definition Of gourmet, I’d go for a non lunch option next time.
Written 30 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, we really value your feedback. We're glad to hear you had a good experience and that your guide was such a hit.
I'm sorry to hear your lunch was not up to par. Usually this goes down a treat, the unique concept of cooking food inside pinot noir barrels usually yields fantastic results. We will speak to the lunch venue to give them the feedback and make sure they take appropriate action. Unfortunately, we are unable to change the New Zealand style of changing wine glasses for tastings. We really hope to see you again for your next wine tour.
Gary
Written 9 September 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Is the lunch a shared style? Or individual?
Written 2 August 2023
Hi, Is there definitely no availability on Saturday 9th April for 4 people? Thanks
Written 31 January 2022
Is the price of $269 quoted in US or NZ Dollars?
Written 14 November 2018
Is the price of $269 quoted in US or NZ Dollars?
Written 14 November 2018
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