Gibbston Valley Winery, Queenstown Overview

One of the founding and most famous wineries of the Central Otago region of New Zealand, the Gibbston Valley Winery produces the most flavourful handmade wines. Also known as the “Valley of Wines”, this place is nestled between the beautiful, lush mountains and is known for its outstanding Pinot Noir. It offers a variety of wine tours and tastings, which take you through the world’s largest wine cave and to the sprawling vineyards. You could also hire a bike from here and go around exploring the area or just take a bike tour of the winery.

It is an ideal day trip from the cities of Queenstown or Arrowtown, or you can even stop here if you’re on the Queenstown Trail. The dining experience at the Gibbston Valley Winery is beautiful, with the valley on one side and delicious food paired with perfect wines in front of you. The winery also organizes concerts from time to time in the summer and is the ideal place for a cosy family lunch on the weekend. If you’re in the Queenstown area, you do not want to miss this place!

Things to Do

Wine tour – There are multiple types of wine tours offered here, which range from basic Cave Tours, to those which include transport and meals. You should definitely tour the best winery in the “Valley of Wines”.
Wine tasting – Of course, no wine tour is complete without a tasting of the locally made wine. Gibbston Valley Winery is known for its Pinot Noir, and the staff does help you figure out the finer nuances of wine tasting.
Bike tour – You could also go around Gibbston Valley and the vineyards on a rented bike. There are tours which go to Arrowtown and around the valley, and end with a tasting. You could also hire either a regular bicycle, or an electric one to explore the area.
Concerts- There are several rock concerts organized here, during the summer months. Artists such as Billy Idol and Smash Mouth have performed here.
Events – You could also book the place for a personal event, or your own party.

Wine Tours

The various types of wine tours which are available here are:

Cave tour - NZD 18.5/ person
Winery and cave tour - NZD 35/ person
Tour, lunch and transport - NZD 105/person
Cave tour and transport - NZD 48/person
Prestige wine tour - NZD 175/person
Two-course lunch and wine - NZD 65/person
Three- course lunch and wine - NZD 85/person

There are also cycling tours which operate here, and take you around the vineyard and winery. They are:
Ride and wine cave tour, including transport -NZD 85
Arrowtown ride to winery and dine - NZD 109
Ride, wine and dine, including transport - NZD 119

Wine Tasting

You can drop by the Cellar Door anytime from 10am to 5pm, on any day and do a casual wine tasting of their beautiful, intense wines. The staff also takes you through the finer points of wine tasting, and makes sure you get a good experience.

They provide a variety of tasting options, details of which are available on request from the Winery itself. The region is known for its Pinot Noir, which you must try when you’re around.

Ambience

With the mountains snuggling in close and wineries stretching into them, Gibbston Valley Winery has a very cosy, rustic feel to it. The staff at both, the restaurants and the Wine Cellar are very well-trained and knowledgeable about different types of wines, and the finer nuances of wine tasting.

The food served at the restaurants there is also prepared very carefully and beautifully paired with the locally made wine. It’s the perfect spot for a lunch date with your loved one, or a Sunday brunch with friends. You can also hire a bike and go around, exploring the winery and the breath-taking landscape.

How To Reach Gibbston Valley Winery

Shuttle - The winery runs shuttles between Queenstown and Gibbson Valley Winery, with a stop at Arrowtown (on request). It costs NZD 25 both ways per person, and a one-way ticket costs NZD 35 per person. The shuttle picks up at the Station Information Centre on Shotover and Camp Street. Tickets can be purchased alone of as part of a transportation and winery package.
Drive – The distance from Queenstown to the winery is 24.5 kilometres, which is a 25 minute drive. It is also 11 kilometres from Arrowtown, which is a 10 minute drive. Parking is easily available at the location.
Taxi – Taxi services such as Uber are easily available in the area of Queenstown. It will cost around NZD 60 - NZD 65 for an Uber each way.
Cycle – The world-famous Queenstown Trail also goes around the valley of Gibbston. If you’re on the Trail, you can easily drop by to the winery as well.