Project Description
Taste award-winning wines from the Valley of the Vines and learn about the spirit making process, from grain to glass, at a local family-owned artisan distillery.
This full-day tour is designed for you to discover the best-kept secrets of the region, starting 45km out of Queenstown in the remote Cardrona Valley. Opened in December 2015, the Cardrona Distillery has already notched up awards for its gin, so this is where you go to witness the magic as its spirits are made from scratch on site. Soak up the sights and smells as malt is milled, mashed, fermented, distilled and matured, before sampling gin, vodka and liqueurs for yourself. Good things take time, so as with all good whiskeys you’ll have to come back in eight or ten years for that tasting.
On the way back to Queenstown, stop at New Zealand’s most photographed building, the historic Cardrona Hotel. Enjoy a hearty lunch before being whisked away to Valley of the Vines in Gibbston for wine tastings at three renowned vineyards.
Your guide, distillery and cellar door staff have a wealth of knowledge about the history of the region’s world-class grapes, Gibbston Valley’s unique growing environment and terroir, and the spirit making processes at Cardrona.
Departing from Queenstown with complimentary hotel transfers, this full-day tour includes door-to-door travel in the comfort of Alpine Wine Tours’ fleet of stylish European vehicles, a friendly guide, lunch, distillery tour and tastings, wine tastings, and a complimentary souvenir to take home and remember your day.
