The Gibbston Valley is one of the most spectacular wine regions you are likely to encounter. Vineyards are patchworked precariously between dramatic schist ranges and the steep Kawarau River gorge.

A relatively young wine growing region, the first vines were planted in the early 1980s by legendary local character Alan Brady. The land was rugged and uncompromising, home only to high country sheep farmers, and most thought he was crazy! But the landscape reminded Brady of the Bourdeaux region in France and a romantic notion turned out to be a fabulous reality.

Today, Central Otago is regarded as one of the top three wine regions in the world for Pinot Noir. The challenging high altitude conditions have led to consistently superb wines and many international awards. More than 70% of the grapes grown here are pinot noir; the rest are other cold climate varietals including pinot gris, riesling, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc.

Whether you are an aficionado or recently introduced to the world of wine, your tour of this spectacular region can be curated specifically to you.