One of the must-do activity NZ is to visit the wineries. For us we went to Gibbston Valley because it was one of the only few wineries with a cave. From other feedback, it was observed that the food and drinks sold here was the most affordable and reasonable as compared to other wineries.
Within the winery, there was also a cheese company. We loved the cheese so much that we bought a bunch of them home. We had lunch first before doing the cave and winery tour which included wine tasting.
If you are like me, who flushes at the drop of alcohol, you might consider doing the tours and wine tasting first. We spent at least half an hour trying to flush the color out of my face before we set off on the road. For our lunch, we took ala-carte.
We had a very heavy breakfast at the Remarkables Market, so we only ordered 2 mains, a sharing side and a drink. This summed up to to NZ$50-70ish which was surprisingly reasonable and does not shortchange you in terms of the food quality. I heard that usually you might end up spending until NZ$200-ish (without alcohol) at other wineries.
The tour took about 45-minutes max and you get to sample 5 wine. During this tour, I learnt a lot on the making of the wine by our friendly guide - CoCo. As you would need to do slight walking to locations within the winery, there is little time to take photos during the tour. Would suggest that you take them after the tour instead.
The wine cave is a little dark so the photos inside didn't show out as nicely on phones. During the cave tour, you will also get to sample some wine during the tour. We tried the (i) Pinot Gris, (ii) Riesling, (iii) Chardonnay, (iv) Pinot Noir (China Terrace) and (v) Pinot Noir (Schoolhouse). If you taste something you like, you can even send a bottle or 2 back home. :D
Special treat: On route to Gibbston Valley, you will pass The Pillars of the Kings from LOTR. I would have to admit the drive isn't the easiest and if the weather is bad, you might have to a void this altogether. But it is worth the ascend cos the view is breathtaking.
