Places to go
Unearth boutique family-owned wineries in one of New Zealand’s newest wine districts. Locate award-winning wineries that flourish in the arid climate and rich limestone soil. Find and sip pinot noir, pinot gris, and Riesling wine. Visit the well known wineries including River T Wines, Te Kano Wine & Q Wines.
Got an art buff among your touring party?
Take the slow lane and travel on gravel roads to Te Kano Wines where a stunning collection of New Zealand art festoons the beautiful cellar door.
RIVER- T WINERY
What a view for a cellar door. Station Peak hills and the St Mary Mountain range lie before the cellar door and adjoining cafe. Local produce is at the forefront of the menu with food offerings from Whitestone Cheese and locally sourced salmon
LOVE THE RIVER-T STATEMENT
… we also stock the world’s largest selection of Waitaki Valley wines.
Located within 5 – 7 minutes from Kurow River-T is a must=go destination for those short on time.
Open September through to June from 10am.
OSTLER CAROLINE’S PINOT NOIR
There are several wineries located within a short distance of the trail. A luxury hospitality complex, restaurant, accommodation and views to die for Lindis Group own and operate Ostler Wines now part of the ACG Wines Ltd, Lindis Group in the Ahuriri Valley.
Passes several temptations. The Otematata to Kurow section will leave you almost at the doorstep of Ostler Wines cellar door, The Vintner’s Drop. Here, you can sample award-winning wines, including Ostler Caroline’s Pinot Noir 2018, and learn more about winemaking in the region.
Margins of success is thin, the climate.
Ostler Wines is a stalwart of the region with the vintner pioneers, Anne and Jim Jerram’s legacy of achieving success in the arid climate. Award winning medals for Ostler Caroline’s Pinot Noir is, as Jim describes ‘over the edge’ when it comes to climate and soils in the Waitaki Valley region … says Jim. “But it’s that edge which is perhaps also the magic line.”
While pioneers Anne and Jim Jerram have passed their legacy onto the Lindis Group the pair have retained their cellar door, The Vintner’s Drop in Kurow along with a boutique vineyard near Lake Waitaki.
Q WINES
Another award winning vineyard does not currently operate a cellar door however The Vintner in Kurow stock their Waitaki Valley Rose or Pinot Noir for your next picnic basket.
Check out the stockists for Q Wines Stockists — Q WINE.
KUROW ESTATE WINERY
Home of Pasquale wines and liqueurs has a summer time cellar door and a casual cafe. Antonio Pasquale established the first winery to be built in the Waitaki Valley and continues to support the region. PASQUALE WINES cellar door, winery and vineyard based just outside Kurow
A CONSERVATION STORY – BLACK STILT WINES
IS CONSERVATION AN IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR PURCHASING HISTORY?
Black Stilt Wines is focused on quality wine using parcels of grapes from single local block vineyards in the Waitaki Valley. And every bottle purchased financially supports the critically endangered Black Stilt native wading bird.
Kakī, or black stilt, is a native wading bird, found only in New Zealand. They have black plumage and a long thin black bill with very long red legs and spectacular bright red eyes. Once common throughout New Zealand, kakī is now only found in the braided rivers and wetlands of the Mackenzie Basin (the catchment area for the Waitaki River). In 1981 the Department of Conservation established a programme to save the Kakī from extinction, at which time there were only ~23 adults remaining. The intensive conservation programme raises and releases back into the wild up to 100 birds each year. The total population is now more healthy than it once was but the bird remains critically endangered due to introduced predators.
- Listen to the kakī/black stilt call
- Find out more about kakī/black stilt:
- From the NZ Department of Conservation
- From NZ Birds Online
WHERE ARE BOUTIQUE WINE TRAILS IN NEW ZEALAND?
Check out 6 Wine Trails, New Zealand off the beaten path – Best Bits with Cromwell a short drive from your day trip to the Waitaki Valey.
TE KANO WINES
Beautifully designed buildings house a welcoming cellar door with views matching the stunning architecture. The cellar door is cantilevered over the magnificent braided Kawarau River with the mountains adding a sense of perspective to the landscape. Linger on the terrace with local artworks gracing the interior walls or sit outside soaking in the views while sipping on small batch and single vineyard wines, often exclusively available to wine club members.
Artworks include internationally renowned artists
- Paul Dibble sculptures with native flora and fauna the inspiration behind the exhibited pieces
- Fiona Pardington’ – Still Life with Kōwhai and Araucana Eggs defines her interpretation of New Zealand
- Grahame Sydney captures the essence of a remote landscape with Onslow County 2021. Tussock, rolling folded hills and light as wide as the sky is broad
WHILE ON YOUR WINE TRAIL THINGS TO DO
- Known for its historic landmarks Oamaru & Waitaki district heritage trails – Best Bits offers visitors a glimpse into a rich agricultural past
- Explore the picturesque 19th architecture of Oamaru
- Ladybird Hill offers fish to plate dining experiences. Catch your own salmon and relish its flavours with locally sourced wines.
- Explore Geological trails Oamaru and Waitaki Valley places to visit and where to go – Best Bits
- Check out Oamaru’s top sights with a visit to the Blue Penguin colony at dusk and watch the penguins coming ashore
BEST BITS TRAVEL GUIDE
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