Wanaka and Central Otago Wine Country

If New Zealand were nearer to Europe I would be moving to Wanaka to tomorrow. It is simply beautiful. An aquamarine lake surrounded by snow capped mountains. A small little town with an urban vibe to it yet peaceful but for the hum of coffee cups and beer gardens. Beautiful vineyards with spectacular wine. Skiing and other outdoor pursuits on your doorstep. What's not to love? 

The scenic drive from Fox Glacier to Wanaka takes you through the Haast Pass alongside Lake Hawea. Words cannot describe the sheer scale of the mountains here. The dramatic scenery serves to make you feel insignificantly tiny yet takes your breath away at the same time. 

There are also some nice little stop points along the way. We stopped for a walk at Thunder Creek Falls, just a 10 minute detour on foot from the road, and also at the pretty Blue Pools, a 30 minute walk over a wobbly rope bridge. Both very pretty. The road also crossed The Gates of Haast, a series of rapids that flow under the bridge carrying the road. 

Wanaka is often bypassed by tourists heading for the much bigger Queenstown, but it is for this very reason that you should stop here. It is much less touristy and rather pretty than its bigger sibling and is a gateway to some of the best wine in the country.

The Central Otago wine region is known mostly for its pinot noir reds but also produces some great whites and some rather surprisingly excellent rosè. We spent three nights courtesy of “Ok2Stay” in the region staying on three very different vineyards and absolutely fell in love with the place. 

Our first stay was at Aitken’s Folly just outside of Wanaka. Owned by British ex-pats, Ian and Fiona, it is already making fantastic wine. Quite possibly the best we have had in this trip and certainly the best rosè. We essentially camped out in their garden next to the vineyards with stunning views of the mountains, sampled their wines and bought a couple of bottles to take with us. After devouring a bottle of the rosè with our dinner I am pleased to report that it passed “the two bottle test”... we had to buy a second bottle it was so delicious! 

Our second stop was at the Maori Point vineyard just outside of Cromwell. This vineyard, alongside the beautiful Clutha river, was New Zealand owned and very pretty. In the owner’s kitchen set next to the poppy covered vineyards, we tried some very delicious reds and a lovely rosè. We purchased a bottle of their lovely reserve and a bottle of their rosé. The latter being devoured that evening as a great accompaniment to our chicken salad, sitting alongside the vines and their pond.

The third night of our vineyard adventure was a completely different, but not unpleasant experience. The Como Villa Vineyard in Alexandra is a step back into the 19th century gold mining era and charts the history of its founder, Thomas Oliver. In the original homestead exists the wine tasting bar sat in what can only be described as a museum and tribute to the old days. It is dusty and fascinating and the current owner takes pleasure in recounting the tales and telling the visitor about the renovation works they are doing to preserve the past. And the wine is pretty decent too! I can verify that a bottle of their red went down rather well with the venison steak we managed to muster in our mobile kitchen although I don't think the wines were my favourite of the trip. 

Ok2Stay has given us a completely unique experience of this area and allowed us to meet some lovely people and stay on their properties in fantastic settings. Thomas has enjoyed it too. Making friends with the locals and going on walks in the countryside. An incredibly good find and wholeheartedly recommended!