Day 6 - Wine Tour
Thursday, July 9
We woke to the sun, mountains, and Lake Wanaka!
We met our wine tour guide for the day, Jess (who went to Wagner College!), and set out to visit 5 local vineyards. The Central Otago region is on the same latitude as the Willamette Valley in Oregon, so the wines produced here are similar to there. They are primarily known for Pinot Noir, but we discovered we a wide variety of wines, and learned a LOT! (We highly recommend Wanaka Wine Tours - and ask for Jess!)
First stop: Nanny Goat Vineyard
Driving between the vineyards gave us stunning mountain views on all sides!
Second stop: The Stoaker Room & Wild Earth Wines where we had a “meat pairing” with our wines for lunch! They have converted old wine barrels into bbq’s where they cook (grill, bake, steam, smoke) food.&
Third stop (when Gail stops drinking the entire pour): Misha’s Vineyard
Driving to our next vineyard…
Fourth stop: Te Kano. Their tasting room is made from three shipping containers with a cantilevered deck attached. It is an exquisite space in an equally exquisite setting.
Fifth (last) stop: Carrick Vineyard
And then the drive back to Wanaka at the golden hour…
Before we said good bye to Jess, we asked for a dinner recommendation and she sent us to The Chef’s Table. It’s a prix fixe menu with a “trust the chef” approach to the evening, and it did not disappoint! Zoom in close on the menu for the evening to see what we had.
This was a day and an evening to remember. Chef’s kiss!
Tomorrow we leave Wanaka and head south to the fjords!