Chic wineries and scenery dazzle in this fast-growing wine region

Head out of Queenstown and into Central Otago. New Zealand’s fastest-growing wine region is most notable for pinot noir but also produces good sauvignon blanc, chardonnays, riesling, gewurztraminer and pinot gris, and many cellar doors have sumptuous scenery.

AMISFIELD

Amisfield and its very chic cellar door.

The first winery, only 15 minutes away, is a corker. Amisfield has one of the most scenic outlooks and a very chic cellar door beneath a copper roof. An Italian-style terrace with splashing fountains and the sort of rustic style that costs a fortune gazes over vineyards and snow peaks. Amisfield’s bistro is outstanding, which is saying something given Queenstown’s excellent dining scene. See amisfield.co.nz

GIBBSTON VALLEY WINERY

In the cellars of the Gibbston valley winery.

New Zealand’s most visited cellar door can get busy – it even runs its own shuttle bus from Queenstown – but for good reason. Its reserve pinot noir is considered a classic New Zealand wine, and its delicate blanc de pinot noir rose is a summer delight. Join a tour to see the cellar cave, learn about production and sample the wine, which is matured in French oak barrels. Great antipasto plates (artichokes, smoked salmon, dips, pickled cherries) are dished up in a sunny courtyard, while adjacent Gibbston Valley Cheese Company provides hand-crafted cheeses. See gibbstonvalley.com

PEREGRINE WINES

Peregrine Winery and its aerodynamic “peregrine’s wing” roof.

This small but highly successful winery has an ultra-modern cellar door half sunk into the ground and sporting a dazzling aerodynamic roof said to resemble a peregrine’s wing. It’s very James Bond, and often used for fashion shoots. The drama of the building is reinforced by old farming cottages and a century-old shearing shed nearby. The tasting area, with backlit bottles and artfully illuminated wine barrels, resembles a chic New York bar and has friendly and informative hosts. Premium pinot noirs are naturally the drops to sample, but tastings run through a good gamut of Central Otago grapes. See peregrinewines.co.nz

QUARTZ REEF WINES

Quartz Reef winery and winemaker Rudi Bauer (at right).Credit: Clare Toia-Bailey

If you want to learn about wine without the fancy frills (or even a vineyard view) then the cellar door in Cromwell has no pretentions, only the woody whiff of wine barrels. You can look into the guts of the production and storage area, and you’ll get a good account of the estate’s winemaking and sustainability aims. The staff are very knowledgeable, and you may encounter winemaker Rudi Bauer himself. Bauer is Austrian, which explains the gruner veltliner, an Austrian white varietal with a lemony and peppery flavour. Quartz Reef’s wines are biodynamic and organic. See quartzreef.co.nz

TE KANO ESTATE

Te Kano Estate with views to match,Credit: Tourism Central Otago

For a striking contemporary cellar door with a view to match, Te Kano in Bannockburn could hardly be better. Its cellar door is fashioned from rusting shipping containers and weathered wood, and its terrace is cantilevered from a hillside above the vines, beyond which the pale blue Kawarau River gurgles and hills rise. The interior has a 1960s feel and is hung with striking artworks. If you can be distracted from the architecture and views, investigate the rich, plummy pinot noir, as well as the fresh, almost gingery pinot gris from the estate’s nearby Jerome vineyard. See tekanoestate.com

CARRICK WINERY & RESTAURANT

Carrick winery and restaurantCredit: Tourism Central Otago

This bright, modern cellar door overlooks the Kawarau River and distant snow peaks, amply displayed thanks to big windows and high ceilings. Tables on the lawn immerse you even more in the scenery. The restaurant showcases regional ingredients, some of which come straight from the kitchen garden, where chooks roam. The menu has useful tasting notes to help you choose a wine to match your pickled sardines (riesling), lamb rump (pinot noir) or blue-cheese and walnut risotto (chardonnay). The wine is organic, and, when in bloom, rapeseed produces vivid yellow stripes between the vines. See carrick.co.nz

The writer travelled as a guest of Tourism New Zealand and Queenstown NZ.