Gibbston Wines

The Gibbston Wine district is east of Queenstown, along the Kawarau Gorge. 

Chard Farm Vineyard

Access to the first winery was along an unsealed road that hugs the side of the Kawarau Gorge. There's a rugged cliff on one side and a drop down to the Kawarau River on the other side. I only took one photo on the way in. I knew we'd come back this way and I'd be better positioned for photography on the other side on the way out. Chard Farm is worth a visit for the views on the road in alone!  

The well-manicured grounds and winery contrast with the starkness of the surrounding landscape.

Gwen introduced us to some interesting wines. We liked their Riesling and the Mata-Au Pinot Noir.

And then there was the road back out.

Looking back: here you can see the vines from the vineyard on the left, the Kawarau River down below and the main highway on the right of the gorge.

In places, it's very narrow, and the edge drops away steeply to the left.

Gibbston Valley Winery

An attractively presented tasting. All lovely wines, but there's a $15 charge for a tasting here. Most places are $5 or free. We especially liked their Riesling and Pinot Noir.

Gibbston Valley has a restaurant menu as well as bar "snacks". We shared this delicious platter for lunch. The bread in the background was included. Three types of cheese (right end), pastrami, hummus, a fish-flavoured dip, pickled veges, and brawn on the far left. Very satisfying.

 Peregrine Winery

This beautiful pond was reflecting the plantings on the walk into Peregrine. The cellar door is the building to the left—the one with the white roof.

I had hoped it was this interesting stone building, but I'm not sure what was in here.

This was a view from inside the cellar door.

Peregrine had a fabulous Riesling: Rastasburn. These glass containers show the different soils the vines grow in.

Mt Rosa

A lovely girl, Edita (originally from Czech Republic), told us all about the Mt Rosa wines. Although we enjoyed our visit, the wines weren't what we were looking for.

A sheep "sculpture" that appeared to be made from old vines—very creative!

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