Queenstown Wine & Food Tour: 3 Wineries, Lunch Included

Three wineries, a wine cave, and a winery lunch in one afternoon

A 5.5-hour Queenstown wine tour visits three Central Otago boutique wineries, including one with New Zealand's largest underground wine cave, with a hosted tasting at each stop and a wine-paired lunch from the a la carte menu. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, and the guide handles the route so you don't arrange transport or timing yourself. Minimum age is 18; advise dietary needs at booking.

Step-by-step itinerary

Queenstown wine tasting and lunch tour

• Visit underground wine cave
• Enjoy wine tasting and paired lunch
• Wine tasting at third boutique winery

The Experience

The tour picks you up from your Queenstown hotel and heads into Central Otago's wine region. You'll taste at three boutique wineries across the afternoon, each one small enough that the guide can walk you through what makes the wines and the place distinct. One of them sits above New Zealand's largest underground wine cave — you get to see behind the scenes there, which is the kind of access a solo visitor wouldn't find on their own.

At the second winery, you order a main from the a la carte menu and the kitchen pairs it with a glass of estate wine made right there. It's not a set plate; you choose what you want to eat, and the pairing follows. The whole thing unfolds over lunch, so you're tasting and eating at the same table instead of rushing between stops. The driver and guide handle the route and the timing, which is what makes a full three-winery day fit into an afternoon without anyone building the schedule.

The tour runs 5.5 hours total. You're in an air-conditioned vehicle between stops, and the guide is local and speaks English. If a winery on the itinerary is unavailable on your day, the operator substitutes another boutique winery nearby rather than cutting a stop.

What’s included

• Local guide and driver.
• air-conditioned vehicle.
• hotel pickup and drop-off from selected hotels.
• hosted wine tasting at three boutique wineries.
• wine and food paired lunch where you choose a main from the a la carte menu and it's paired with an estate wine.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Queenstown Wine Trail

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you land in Queenstown with a free afternoon and want to taste Central Otago wines without renting a car or planning stops yourself — the guide handles the route and the wineries, so you show up and taste.

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Top questions

What's inside the wine cave at the first winery?

The first winery is home to New Zealand's largest underground wine cave, and the tour includes a hosted visit where the guide explains how it's used in the winemaking process and the storage of estate wines.

Do I have to order a specific dish at the winery lunch?

No — you select your own main course from the a la carte menu at the second winery, and the kitchen pairs it with a glass of their estate wine to match what you've chosen.

How much time do we spend at each winery?

The itinerary includes a hosted wine tasting at each of the three wineries, with the lunch stop at the second one allowing more time to eat and taste together; the guide paces the day so all three stops fit comfortably inside the 5.5-hour tour.

What if I have dietary restrictions?

Let the operator know your dietary requirements when you book, and they'll pass them to the winery kitchen so your lunch can be prepared to suit your needs.

Does the tour include hotel pickup?

Yes — the driver picks you up from selected Queenstown hotels and drops you back after the tour ends, so you don't need to arrange your own transport to the wineries.

Is there a minimum age for this tour?

Yes, you must be at least 18 years old to join the wine tastings on this tour.