Gourmet Food & Wine Packages | Wānaka & Queenstown

Central Otago is one of the world’s great wine regions and it is New Zealand’s southernmost and highest-altitude wine country. Schist soils, intense summer sun and cold autumn nights produce pinot noir with a character distinct from anywhere else. The food scene that’s grown up around it in Wānaka and Queenstown over the past decade has kept pace. A gourmet stay in the Southern Lakes doesn’t mean fitting wine tours around your other activities. It means building the whole stay around the food and wine, and the restaurants and producers we know personally.

What a gourmet package can include

Gourmet experiences in the home can take many forms. You may select a private chef for an evening, or for the week. Wine connoisseurs may seek a sommelier at the table for a deep and personalised walk through Central Otago pinot noir. Or if you prefer hands-on foodie experiences, perhaps a cooking class built around what’s at the Wānaka market on Saturday morning can be arranged.

The wine country runs east from us in Wānaka. Have a private guide and driver take you through the Cromwell basin where appointment-only cellar doors can be opened for you. Tastings at Felton Road, Burn Cottage and Te Kano; lunch on Mount Difficulty’s terrace, at Carrick, or at Amisfield. We arrange everything, including with the appointment-only producers.

Restaurant reservations in Wānaka, Arrowtown and Queenstown can be organised too. As can the Mountain Kitchen: a scenic flight onto an alpine ledge for lunch prepared in the mountains or a foraging walk with a local guide when the season allows.

Some stays may simply include a fridge stocked from the best local artisan producers and seasonal ingredients waiting on arrival.

Central Otago cellar doors worth visiting

Central Otago is New Zealand’s southernmost and highest-altitude wine region. The schist soils, fierce summer sun and long cool autumns produce pinot noir of a character distinct from anywhere else in the world. The harvest runs late February through April, depending on the season’s weather.

Felton Road (Bannockburn) is worth knowing as a road as much as a winery: it’s home to Felton Road, Mount Difficulty and Te Kano — three of the region’s finest producers in sequence. Felton Road itself is biodynamic, widely considered one of New Zealand’s greatest producers. Tastings by appointment; book ahead.

Burn Cottage (Bannockburn): small-production, biodynamic, exceptional pinot noir and riesling. Intimate and unhurried.

Carrick (Bannockburn): the most complete cellar door visit in the sub-region: serious wines, a seasonal lunch restaurant with views over the Kawarau Gorge.

Mount Difficulty (Bannockburn, Felton Road): as respected for its lunches as for its wines, the restaurant serves an accomplished à la carte lunch Wednesday to Sunday on a terrace that’s one of the best lunch settings in Central Otago.

Te Kano (Bannockburn, Felton Road): an award-winning architectural cellar door cantilevered above the Kawarau River, with build-your-own platters and some of the most dramatic views in the region. Uniquely in Central Otago, Te Kano produces a Cabernet Franc — worth trying if it’s available.

Rippon Vineyard (Wānaka lakefront): organic and biodynamic, the vineyard runs to the lake edge with mountains directly behind. One of New Zealand’s most beautiful cellar door settings.

Amisfield (Lake Hayes, near Arrowtown): critically acclaimed winery restaurant with a celebrated Trust the Chef menu that changes with the season and the harvest. One of the finest winery dining experiences in New Zealand.

The Church (Gibbston Valley): a genuine 1800s church building repurposed as a cellar door and café, pouring local Gibbston wines alongside café food and a relaxed afternoon atmosphere. One of the more characterful stops in the valley.

Mount Rosa (Gibbston Valley): a converted wool shed set on the original Kawarau Station ram paddock, with platters, a good tasting flight and a courtyard that works well for groups. Relaxed, unhurried and reliably good.

In-home dining options

Private chef at your Wānaka or Queenstown accommodation

Instead of choosing between cooking yourselves or booking a restaurant every night, opt for a private chef who shops locally that morning, cooks in your accommodation, sets the table and leaves you with a cleaned kitchen. We source private chefs suited to your group’s size, dietary requirements and preferred style, whether you want to wrap your day with a relaxed yet abundant shared platter or bring everyone together for a formal multi-course tasting menu with matched Central Otago wines.

Whichever suits your preferred in-villa dining experience, you’re certain to savour the flavours of Central Otago: lamb, venison, stone fruit, cheeses and honey.

Our pick of Wānaka and Queenstown restaurants

Wānaka:

Kika – consistently excellent cooking
Francesca’s Italian Kitchen – relaxed, reliable, good wine list
Bistro Gentil – intimate European bistro

Queenstown:

Rātā – Cuisine Good Food Guide listed, seasonal South Island cooking
Sherwood – two-hat awarded, wood-fired kitchen, strong on organic and foraged local produce
The Bunker – rustic fine dining tucked down Cow Lane, specialising in game and Central Otago produce

We handle restaurant reservations as part of any gourmet package. The best tables in both towns fill well ahead of peak season. If there are specific restaurants on your list, tell us when you enquire.

Ayrburn – a destination worth at least half your day

Ayrburn is a restored 160-year-old farm estate with multiple boutique venues on the outskirts of Arrowtown. Its venues include a fine dining woolshed, barrel room wine tasting space, gourmet Chinese restaurant and a cocktail bar set across heritage buildings and established grounds. It’s also home to “Christmas in July” if you stay with us during winter. We can book the right venue for your group and your day.

Sample 7-night gourmet itinerary

Day 1 — Arrive Queenstown, stop at The Church or Mount Rosa in Gibbston en route. First-night dinner at Kika.

Day 2 — Wānaka Saturday market if it’s a Saturday. Stock the kitchen (or see what we’ve provided for you, upon request). Private chef dinner at home.

Day 3 — Full Bannockburn wine day with driver and guide

Day 4 — Morning walk. Rippon Vineyard cellar door. Sommelier-led tasting at home in the evening.

Day 5 — Mountain Kitchen experience: scenic heli flight, alpine landing, gourmet lunch in the mountains.

Day 6 — Arrowtown and Amisfield for lunch. Afternoon at Rifters Gin Distillery or walking off that lunch along the river.

Day 7 — Transfer to Queenstown Airport, room for a tasting or lunch along the way if time allows

Ready to create your gourmet food and wine holiday in New Zealand?

Let’s plan your Southern Lakes gourmet stay – we’re ready and waiting to share our tips and ideas.

Enhance your stay with any of these options. Because we’re local, we can arrange these for you to ensure you have an authentic and trustworthy experience.