It feels like an age ago, but we recently visited Queenstown in New Zealand and explored a few of the wineries in the Central Otago region. This wine region absolutely blew me away with its jaw-dropping scenery, beautiful food and amazing wines. The cellar doors were absolutely stunning, the people so friendly and passionate, and the wines – oh the wines! They were so beautifully delicate and complex all at the same time. I fell absolutely head over heels in love. For this reason, I wanted to share with you my top cellar doors in Central Otago.
So we didn’t get to quite as many cellar doors as I would have liked, as we had a wedding and plenty of other activities to do in Queenstown. Really there is so much to see and do, I think you’ll find the same issue! The wineries we did get to though were great. So here are my favourites we visited so you can plan your own trip – once we are past this crazy time of quarantine!
A little advice before we begin: Central Otago is massive! There are little pockets you can visit but the closest wineries to Queenstown are still about 30 minutes drive away. We definitely didn’t get to even scratch the surface of the wine region, but these are the top cellar doors we visited while we were there. If you are going to base yourself in Queenstown, there is still plenty to discover! We spent one day out at Bannockburn which I highly recommend, but it is an hour drive away. Otherwise, you can stay closer to home and try some great wines! This list will have a mix of the two areas.
Top Cellar Doors in Central Otago: Felton Road
Felton Road was the first cellar doors we visited and is located in Bannockburn. It isn’t open to the public but we were able to call to make an appointment, and this was the best thing we could have done. It wasn’t just a tasting, but a full experience! We were taken for a tour around the vineyard and shown through their winemaking processes all before we tried their wines. It was so great hearing about all their Biodynamic and sustainable practices before trying the wines as they are very big on this with their wines. From the way they manage the vineyard to their power sources, sustainability is key to everything they do.
This care shows in the wines which were absolutely fantastic. Although we couldn’t take many home as they were pretty much sold out (showing how popular they were), we ended up getting a case because we loved them so much! Trying their different Pinot Noirs was definitely the highlight for me. They have many vineyards around the local area and you could really taste the difference in the wines. Their Chardonnays were also fantastic!
The cellar door is beautiful and definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. Make sure you give them a call before heading there though otherwise you might be disappointed. You won’t want to miss this one, trust me!
Top Cellar Doors in Central Otago: Chard Farm
A little closer to Queenstown, Chard Farm is an absolutely stunning cellar door. It is a little precarious to get there. You have to drive along this one-lane dirt road with a steep cliff on one side. But it all adds to the experience, especially when you meet a large tractor going the other way!
If you are after an Instagrammable cellar door, look no further than Chard Farm. Its pink cellar door stands out against the landscape and makes for a great photo. But you’re not here for that – you are here for the wine! I can promise you the wine is incredible too. They also have a couple of very cute cats – we were greeted by one of them who sat in on our tasting.
We tried some great wines at Chard Farm. My favourite had to be the Judge and Jury Chardonnay which we brought home a bottle of. But I actually enjoyed all of their whites, which is a bit unusual for me! Their Rieslings were both beautiful.
If you are in Queenstown and looking to visit some wineries, definitely make sure you visit Chard Farm. It is definitely up there on my top cellar doors in Central Otago.
Top Cellar Doors in Central Otago: Mt Difficulty
Mt Difficulty is in Bannockburn but definitely worth the trip out for the views along. Situated on a hill, it had some of the most incredible views out over the vineyards and mountains of the area. We were able to do our wine tasting outside overlooking this view which was absolutely fantastic!
If the view isn’t enough, there are plenty of great wines on tasting to try! I was intrigued that they started us out with the Pinot Noirs before the whites, but it actually worked! Their wines each offered something different and were truly delicious. I really loved their Pinot Noir, but they also had a great Chardonnay.
If you are in the area, this is also a great spot to stop for lunch or a coffee. Their restaurant had great food and a beautiful view. We had a delicious meal there, and it was great as we were able to order a la carte. There didn’t seem to be too many spots for lunch while we were there, so this would be my pick if you’re planning your day. Think venison or lamb paired with a delicious pinot overlooking the vines. I’m sold! Also if you are dining in the restaurant, the wine tasting is complimentary!
Top Cellar Doors in Central Otago: Kinross
Another great spot we visited was Kinross. This cellar door is just down the road from Chard Farm and offers wines from a few wineries around the area. The reason we went there was that the night before we’d tried a wine from a winery called Valli. We absolutely fell head over heels for their smooth Pinot Noir, and so knew we had to go try more of their wines. Luckily at Kinross, you can try their wines but also Valli and a couple of other wineries.
What did we love? Well, we ended up purchasing a lot of the Valli Pinot Noir as it was all incredibly delicious. They tailor the wine tasting around your tastes, so make sure you ask to try their wines. Each offered something different depending on its vineyard, so it was worth trying them all! We also loved the Pinot Noir from Coal Pit which was a smaller producer with incredible wines!
Looking for a spot of lunch in the area? Kinross was a great option for a casual winery lunch. They do great pizzas and a la carte meals making it a great choice if you don’t want anything too fancy.
Top Cellar Doors in Central Otago: Quartz Reef
Now when thinking of the top cellar doors in Central Otago, I’d usually gravitate to those with a picturesque cellar door. Now, Quartz Reef is not one of these. Its cellar door is in an industrial state, and doesn’t have much to look at. So if it has made its way to this list, you know the wine must be good. And it truly is! Don’t be put off by the location, because it is well worth a visit for the wines alone!
Quartz Reef is renowned for its sparkling wines, and when you taste them you can see why. They are some of the closest sparklings to champagne I’ve ever tasted. They were absolutely delicious, refreshing and everything you could want in sparkling wine and more. But don’t let that distract you from their Pinot Noir, because their Pinots are absolutely incredible! We ended up bringing a bottle home because they were so good!
Top Cellar Doors in Central Otago: Cloudy Bay
If you are looking for a picturesque cellar door that you can spend the whole afternoon at, look no further than the Cloudy Bay tasting shed. It is located around Bannockburn, and definitely worth the trip for how beautiful it is! Set up around a lake, they encourage sitting outside and enjoying the sunshine. There’s also food available, and plenty of lawn games, including mini-golf!
If that isn’t enough, there are plenty of tasting options. You can choose from a combination of three wines. It is a little more expensive than other tastings, and not refundable on a purchase, but the tastings are quite large. We opted for three different Pinot Noirs and it was great to try different wines from completely different areas of Central Otago. There was quite a difference! The tasting sizes really leant themselves to enjoying slowly in the afternoon sun. I could definitely picture spending an entire afternoon enjoying the view here!
Top Cellar Doors in Central Otago: Amisfield
Finally, no trip to Queenstown would be complete for a wine lover without a trip to Amisfield. It is renowned for its restaurant, but its wines are incredible too! It is quite close to Queenstown, meaning you don’t have to drive far to get there. The views are beautiful, and the cellar door and restaurant are stunning as well.
We had a great tasting at Amisfield trying a range of their wines. One of my favourites was the Rosé which was deceptively bright pink, but very dry and refreshing in its flavours. I definitely wish I’d bought a bottle or two to bring home! We also loved their Pinot Noir from 2017 – it truly trumped 2016 which surprised me!
Food-wise, this is not the cheapest place to eat, but you will be guaranteed an experience. Their two-course lunch was absolutely beautiful, and the venison dish was one of the best I had on the trip. Sitting outside looking out over the vineyard was an absolutely perfect way to enjoy lunch.
The final word on my top cellar doors in Central Otago
I hope you have realised from this post that when it comes to Central Otago, you really can’t go wrong. Between the beautiful scenery, the incredible food and the outstanding wines, each winery we visited had something we loved. The wines of this area are next level, and will have you missing them when you realise how expensive they are in Australia! Best to enjoy them while you can, and head out to the wineries to get the full experience!