Private and Luxury
5–6 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 97% of travellers
97% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$259
per adult
Appellation Wine Tours
Appellation Wine Tours
Appellation Wine Tours
5
Beer Tastings & ToursSightseeing ToursPrivate ToursWine Tours & Tastings
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Full view
About
With over 25 years of experience, join New Zealand's award-winning wine tour company and discover the wines, history and sights of New Zealand's premier cool climate wine region, Central Otago. Head into the heart of the Central Otago wine region, and enjoy tastings from three contrasting wine sub-regions; the Gibbston Valley and the lesser known Cromwell and Bannockburn basin. Sit back and relax in our luxury minivans, and take in the sights with our wine guide providing a full commentary on the area. Daily group and private tours available, with vineyard visits changing every day. We have relationships with all vineyards and requests can be made at the time of booking.
Tours and Tickets by Appellation Wine Tours
Private and Luxury
3–4 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 98% of travellers
98% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$219
per adult
Private and Luxury
6–7 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 99% of travellers
99% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$299
per adult
Private and Luxury
3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 100% of travellers
100% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$149
per adult
Day Trips
330–420 minutes
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 96% of travellers
96% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$435
per adult
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5.0
1,287 reviews
Excellent
1,181
Very good
87
Average
13
Poor
4
Terrible
2
Gladstone21
Napier, New Zealand246 contributions
Sept 2020
After some serious research on Otago vineyards and wine tourism providers I obtained several quotes for a private tour for two couples. I wanted a bespoke tour of selected vineyards, chosen more for the alternate wines available to the more common Pinot Noirs. Especially Chardonnay! Appellation came through tops and off we went, 4 winery’s, 3 Bannockburn, 1 Gibbston. Mt Difficulty for a big brand, Carrick and Domain Rd for a small producer (all Bannockburn) and Chard Farm I. The Gibbston. They all fitted the profile of being reasonably priced, great representatives of the area and well suited to our tastes.
We were met in Queenstown by our guide Paul and set forth. This was mid September and a perfect day on the Bannockburn side. Paul has astounding area knowledge and some interesting hobbies which sees him exploring the backcountry of Otago. He was a font of knowledge, wonderful host and put us all at ease immediately. The 3 Bannockburn wineries were great choices with great wines, lovely service and staff. We had a light lunch provided with wine at Carrick. I loved this place so much I joined the wine club, getting 3 wines delivered for about $90 quarterly. Domain Road is a wonderful boutique venue with a container tasting cellar cantilevered over the shallow valley. Chard Farm has a Tuscan style building and a dramatic valley drive in!
The van was roomy, modern and comfortable, and the microphone system allowed a hearing impaired family member to hear and enjoy the commentary and information on the area. Gary and Lise provided feedback on my choices to narrow down the day as there are quite a number of worthwhile wineries to visit in the area. Thanks to all the team at Appellation. We loved the 5 or so hours we spent with you and and score you 11 out of 5!
Oh and we took home or drank on holiday a fair bit of Otago wine. AND thanks to Marie at Domain for shipping our extras from all vineyards home for us with our Domain Rd buys. We are grateful to you all for a great day!
We were met in Queenstown by our guide Paul and set forth. This was mid September and a perfect day on the Bannockburn side. Paul has astounding area knowledge and some interesting hobbies which sees him exploring the backcountry of Otago. He was a font of knowledge, wonderful host and put us all at ease immediately. The 3 Bannockburn wineries were great choices with great wines, lovely service and staff. We had a light lunch provided with wine at Carrick. I loved this place so much I joined the wine club, getting 3 wines delivered for about $90 quarterly. Domain Road is a wonderful boutique venue with a container tasting cellar cantilevered over the shallow valley. Chard Farm has a Tuscan style building and a dramatic valley drive in!
The van was roomy, modern and comfortable, and the microphone system allowed a hearing impaired family member to hear and enjoy the commentary and information on the area. Gary and Lise provided feedback on my choices to narrow down the day as there are quite a number of worthwhile wineries to visit in the area. Thanks to all the team at Appellation. We loved the 5 or so hours we spent with you and and score you 11 out of 5!
Oh and we took home or drank on holiday a fair bit of Otago wine. AND thanks to Marie at Domain for shipping our extras from all vineyards home for us with our Domain Rd buys. We are grateful to you all for a great day!
Written 6 October 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.
Yvonne T
Sydney, Australia445 contributions
Oct 2022 • Friends
A group of 13 had the privelige of taking the gourmet wine and food tour with Appellation wine tours in Queenstown last month. What can I say, it was fabulous. Simon our driver was very knowledgeable and went out of his way to make sure we had a wonderful day. The wineries we visiting were great and the lunch that was put on for us at the Stoaker room was fabulous. The weather was perfect, the vineyards, scenery along the way and the commentary on the history from Simon was very informative. I’d recommend Appellation to anyone looking for a great day visiting vineyards and enjoying wonderful food.
Written 12 November 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.
Amanda O
3 contributions
Jan 2020
This tour was amazing. Our tour guide was a breath of fresh air - hey Vicky! She gave the perfect amount of comedic commentary without going overboard and also had many fun facts about the area to share. If you are a Pinot Noir fan, this is a must do! The wines are fabulous and the wineries are really proud of their work and happy to have you onsite. I can't wait to go back!
Written 11 January 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.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Amanda. We really appreciate you taking the time out to share your experience with us—and we agree, Vicky is truly a gem to have on our team! We count ourselves lucky for customers like you. We look forward to working with you again in the future!
Written 12 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kayjayell
Wicklow, Ireland391 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Paul was our knowledgable guide for this trip and that guy knows his wine and along with a good overall history of the area was the perfect host.
Visited four wineries with lunch at one and all stops were full of information about their wines.
At Allan Scott (Scott Base) we got to try their craft beers as a direct replacement for the wine if we wanted which were really good.
A stop off at Cromwell where the old mining town was moved 50mts to make way for a new lake for a hydroelectric dam and a well earned coffee to keep us upright we then headed back to Queenstown.
If you are here do this so you get all the history all the drinks all the scenery and don’t have any of the responsibilityof getting to each winery!!
Visited four wineries with lunch at one and all stops were full of information about their wines.
At Allan Scott (Scott Base) we got to try their craft beers as a direct replacement for the wine if we wanted which were really good.
A stop off at Cromwell where the old mining town was moved 50mts to make way for a new lake for a hydroelectric dam and a well earned coffee to keep us upright we then headed back to Queenstown.
If you are here do this so you get all the history all the drinks all the scenery and don’t have any of the responsibilityof getting to each winery!!
Written 31 January 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 Karl, thanks very much for reviewing us here at Appellation Wine Tours and for the recommendation of our tours!! Due to the fact that we visit different wine regions, it's great to have the opportunity to show our clients something little different and off the beaten track, like Old Cromwell Town (as you visited) for its fascinating history. Paul, with his incredible wine and mining knowledge would have done the area proud! Thanks again and best wishes. Lise
Written 3 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
J M
Auckland2 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
I chose this tour due to the raving reviews and I was super excited when I received the call that Gary was going to be our tour guide. He certainly lived up to the hype! Gary showed excellent knowledge of the area and gave us an entertaining commentary throughout the drive. He asked for our wine preferences and let the cellar door staff know of these preferences where possible. He demonstrated his passion for wine by pointing out his favourite wines and even helped out busy staff by pouring our glasses of wine for the group. We visited Kinross, Gibbston Valley and Mount Rosa. The tastings at each cellar door were well organised and staff were fantastic throughout. Would highly recommend this tour and hope that you can also get Gary as your guide!
Written 16 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 Jen, a big thanks for the review! We are super proud of our T/A reviews and Gary and all of our guides!! Delighted that you enjoyed a personalised afternoon on the Classic Wine Tour. Be assured your wonderful words have been passed to Gary. We hope we have an opportunity to welcome you out again in the future. Warm regards, Lise
Written 20 August 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ryan C
18 contributions
Sept 2020 • Couples
Great day out with Gary and appellation wine tours. It made a drizzly day in Queenstown a treat. Gary had great banter and knowledge of the local wine and area, he kept us entertained on the journey between the two wine regions. Shout out to the crew for taking us to different wineries that we hadn’t been to and even the one we had, we had a completely different experience. Would highly recommend.
Written 6 October 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 Ryan. A big thanks for reviewing for us and the Boutique Wine Tour. Certainly there is no bad day to take a wine tour; in fact it's an ideal wet weather option especially with one of our guides and the right vineyard mix! We are lucky that we visit different wine regions and therefore have a wider choice and variety of vineyards in the pool from which to allocate. As such, do let us know if you wish a return visit into our amazing wine country and we'll ensure a completely different vineyard lineup, but equally as enjoyable. Cheers, Lise
Written 12 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Cavalier11
Auckland, New Zealand58 contributions
Jul 2020
The scenery was stunning enough - but add in wine tasting at 4 wineries and lunch at Carricks the value for money doesn’t get much better. World class wines, delicious food, entertaining hosts and a very friendly and informative driver makes for a experience that you won’t forget. Thoroughly recommended!
Written 1 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, thank you so much for your fantastic words, recommendation and value-for-money validation! We hope you have another opportunity in the future to visit spectacular Central Otago with us again. Best regards, Lise
Written 10 August 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
travelling-kiwis
Auckland, New Zealand85 contributions
Feb 2021 • Couples
Our tour guide Gary was awesome - very knowledgeable, especially considering he has only been in NZ for 4 years .. he’s just like a local! We went to a few wineries in Gibbston valley - mt Rosa, gibbston winery & Kinross. Loved the big pours at mt Rosa, the cave and history at gibbston and the great wine & food at Kinross. I’m not a huge wine expert but ended up learning so much and getting quite a few bottles sent home for free. The hours went past so quickly and I LOVE that they drop you back home safely!! Thanks Gary for making this wine tour super memorable 😊 would highly recommend if you are in Queenstown and have spare time between 1.30-5pm. Also if you book accommodation at Crowne Plaza like we did you get this tour for free!!
Written 4 February 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 the great review - what praise! I definitely feel like a local so I'm glad I passed the test! I'm glad you had such a great time, and I hope to see you on tour again soon.
Thanks,
Gary
Written 21 February 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
John W
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand10 contributions
Apr 2021 • Couples
To be honest I thought this trip was going to be a bit of a yawn. But from the moment we were picked up Gary kept us entertained and enlightened us all with his wine knowledge. Great to go to vineyards we would never have visited by ourselves. Hats off to domain road. You were awesome. Great day Gary. Thanks so much. You were amazing. ( and delivered the bubbles!)
Written 25 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.
Ruth Stowers
Wellington, New Zealand9 contributions
Jul 2022
We did the Jetboat + Wine Tour combo and it was awesome! Pick up from the city, friendly driver that introduced us all, knowledgeable and passionate various winery people, behind the scenes tour, and plenty of wine! Definitely worth the $249 (direct booking $50 discount). We were feeling a bit hesitant with the rain on the day but we had such a great time and it was all inside so the weather was no problem. Also shoutout to Katie who provided wonderful customer service and was able to book us on another day when our flights were delayed and helped with a lost wallet - you're the best!
Written 23 July 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.
Hello, how many in a group for the gourmet wine tour ?
Written 27 February 2020
We take a maximum of 12 guests per tour. Most tours run at a nice number of between 4-8 guests, but can change depending on peak or low seasons. Many thanks
Written 27 February 2020
How is the scenic wine tour different from the boutique one? Which includes vineyard tours?
Written 8 August 2019
Hi Naz, the Gourmet Scenic Wine tour is a bit longer and has a few more additions. It is really a full day tour for food and wine lovers! It includes a cheese tasting, artisan chocolates, and a gourmet wine and food matching experience (the Boutique tour includes a shared platter lunch and glass of wine). The Gourmet tour visits New Zealand's largest wine cave with a vineyard tour, and a visit to Arrowtown as well. Hope that helps.
Written 13 August 2019
What's it like to do this tour in July? Cold? Rainy? Bare vines?
Written 26 April 2015
The scenery is still breathtaking, the wines are still delicious and the stories of the wine and local history is still captivating! We hope to take you out on tour some time in the future. Cheers.
Written 13 February 2017
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