Updated December 2021
Ota-GO! The wine tasting guide to Central Otago
Located near the bottom of the south island, Central Otago’s vineyard settings match the dramatic, mountainous terrain. Otago, like Martinborough, is famous for the pinots, albeit a totally different style. If Martinborough was the complex, witty and compassionate gentleman, then Otago is the bold, brash and cocky bro.
So are the pinots any good? Hell yes. Is Otago better Martinborough? That’s for you to decide. Regardless, the adrenaline-fueled city of Queenstown is just to the south, so there’s no excuse not to visit. Read our wine tasting guide to Central Otago, New Zealand to discover more.
Check out our New Zealand wine driving route guide as the ultimate resource.
Where to stay
The two main areas to stay are Queenstown and Wanaka. Queenstown is more lively–loaded with restaurants, pubs, adventure tourism and backpackers, while Wanaka is more serene and off the beaten path. So do you stay in Queenstown or Wanaka? Both if you can, as they are equally enjoyable and worth the time.
Queenstown: The Novotel Queenstown Lakeside has a good location at reasonable rates and the Eichardt’s is awesome for a more intimate, luxurious experience.
Wanaka: The Willows Wanaka is the best bet for excellent location and views.
Where to taste
- Burn Cottage: The Wine Scribes’ favorite pinots of the lot. Tastings are appointment only and take place in an industrial lot — so not for those who require a view (for that, check out Mt. Difficulty). The pinot lineup is incredible and they are liberal with the Coravin pours, allowing a tasting of older vintages. We recently tried a 2015 Burn Cottage pinot at the Hemel-en-Aarde pinot festival and were blown away, reminding us of how great this great this label is!
- Sato Wines: We met with Yoshiaki and Kyoko Sato in 2018 and got a chance to view his newly planted vines and hear his story. A former investment banker in Tokyo, Sato ventured to Burgundy to complete a harvest and fell in love with the process. Now he makes natural-ish wines with minimal sulfur and incredible taste. His tasting room is still being built, but lookout for his small quantity wines at wine bars like Scotch Bar in Marlborough or the boutique wine shops in Queenstown and Wanaka.
- Wild Earth: Some of our favorite Rieslings come from here along with some great fruit-forward jammy pinots. After the tasting, stay for lunch and enjoy some mouth-watering BBQ’d meats and veggies.
- Rippon Winery: Biodynamic and organic winemaker with some lovely tasting pinots. The view is spectacular from the tasting room, which results in a bit of traffic on the weekends; call ahead and make a private tasting appointment so you don’t get lumped in with a large crowd.
- Misha’s Vineyard: A small-batch family owned winery producing some extremely approachable, fun Rosé and Pinot Noir. The tasting is held in a small living room and is very casual and enjoyable. There’s a good chance you’ll meet the owners, as they frequent the tasting room to pour and inform.
Where to eat
Wild Earth is our pick for lunch on the wine route. When back in Queenstown, there’s a famous spot called FergBurger; we think it’s a bit overhyped, but it’s a good burger and worth going once. Call ahead so you don’t get bogged down in a huge line. Tanoshi makes fine Japanese tapas and Pedro’s House of Lamb (takeout) is some of the best lamb in New Zealand. For beer lovers, check out Atlas Beer Cafe and don’t miss Eichardts for some refreshing cocktails.
In Wanaka, White House Cafe has an always-changing menu with a stellar wine list. We’d also reccomend Big Fig Wanaka located on the main drag. In between Wanaka and Queenstown, don’t miss The Boatshed Cafe for brunch and Wakatipu Grill for a fancier dinner.
What else to do
So much room for activities. Queenstown is famous for being an adrenaline-junkie’s dream. Walk down the main drags and you’ll see a cornucopia of tourism kiosks advertising skydiving, bungie jumping and other extreme experiences. For those less inclined to jump off of high places or airplanes, the Jet Boat in Shotover river is an absolute blast
Aside from extreme sports, the breathtaking topography make Otago a world class hiking destination. Some nice local hikes to consider are Sunshine Bay, Lake Alta and Queenstown Gondola for a sunset. Then, hire a car and check out The Milford Sound, Rob Roy’s Glacier, Mount Cook and Te Anau.
For those with more than a week to spend in the area, we recommend Ultimate Hikes for longer journeys. Completing the Grand Traverse over the course of 7 days was an unforgettable experience and we are looking forward to returning for another route!
