The Cellar Doors
Eleven cellar doors, listed in the order you meet them riding east. The distance under each name is how far it sits off the Winery Bike Trail.
Chard Farm
Perched above the Kawarau River on a narrow terrace, Chard Farm has one of New Zealand's most dramatic vineyard settings. The access road alone is an experience — winding along a cliff face with sheer drops to the river. Their Pinot Noir is refined and age-worthy, the Riesling is one of Central Otago's best. Intimate, relaxed, personal. You might end up chatting with the winemaker. Visiting Chard Farm by bike →
Gibbston Valley Winery
The one that started it all, established in 1987. The headline attraction is New Zealand's largest wine cave — a 76-metre tunnel blasted into schist rock where wines age in natural cool conditions. Guided tours run throughout the day. The cellar door pours excellent reserve Pinot Noir alongside Pinot Gris, Riesling, and a surprisingly good rosé. There's also a full restaurant and an artisan cheesery on site. Budget an hour here minimum. Visiting Gibbston Valley Winery by bike →
Mt Edward
A small, intimate cellar door doing organic, regenerative wines — pinot noir, pet nats and orange wine, with tapas matched to each pour. Reservations encouraged, and worth making: this is the most hands-on tasting on the trail. Visiting Mt Edward by bike →
Peregrine Wines
You'll recognise it by the building — a dramatic bunker-shaped structure designed to echo a falcon's outstretched wing. Peregrine holds organic certification and produces consistently excellent Pinot Noir. Structured, elegant, expressive of the terroir. Their méthode traditionnelle sparkling is a genuine treat. The tasting room opens onto vineyard views framed by mountains. Visiting Peregrine Wines by bike →
Rockburn Wines at Gibbston Tavern
Rockburn pours at the historic Gibbston Tavern, which gives the tasting a laid-back pub feel. Their Pinot Noir consistently ranks among the region's finest, and the Stolen Kiss rosé is a summer icon. Proper pub food, wood-fired pizza, and a beer garden built for a long lunch. Visiting Gibbston Tavern by bike →
Kinross
A brilliant concept. Five boutique Central Otago wineries share a single tasting room, so you taste across the region without leaving your seat. The bistro serves seasonal platters and the outdoor terrace has mountain views that make it hard to leave. This is often where people linger longest. Visiting Kinross by bike →
The Church
Estate-grown Stronsay Chardonnay poured inside a beautifully restored 1894 Presbyterian church. Cellar door and café in one, and unlike anywhere else in the valley. Visiting The Church by bike →
Mt Rosa Wines
A single-estate cellar door at the quiet end of the valley, on land that was once part of Kawarau Station. Pinot noir, pinot gris, pinot blanc and rosé, all grown in the vines around you, with bar snacks and platters. Visiting Mt Rosa Wines by bike →
Monte Christo
Pours from the preserved 1860s stone stables of the old Gibbston Hotel, right beside the Tavern — so the two share a turn-off and you can do both in one stop. Build-your-own platters and a genuinely historic room. Visiting Monte Christo by bike →
Brennan Wines
One of Gibbston's smaller boutique producers, under the Nevis Bluff with a garden and a pétanque court. Elegant, terroir-driven Pinot Noir from low-yielding vines, and build-your-own antipasto. Tastings here feel personal and unhurried. Visiting Brennan Wines by bike →
Waitiri Creek
Family-owned, small-batch, real character, in a converted woolshed at the top of the valley. Their Pinot Noir has a savoury complexity that sets it apart from its neighbours, and there are local beers and spirits alongside. The cellar door has a genuine family feel. Visiting Waitiri Creek by bike →Why Gibbston Valley?
Gibbston Valley is Central Otago's original wine sub-region. Tucked into the Kawarau River gorge about 25 minutes east of Queenstown, it packs world-class wineries into a few kilometres of spectacular scenery. The altitude, schist soils, and extreme continental climate produce some of New Zealand's finest Pinot Noir. Summers are hot and dry, winters are cold and sharp, and the vines respond with concentrated, complex fruit.
What makes Gibbston perfect for visitors is the density. Unlike other wine regions where you need a car and a designated driver, every winery here sits along a dedicated cycling trail. You can visit four or five in a single afternoon without touching a highway. That's why locals call it the Valley of the Vines.
Pinot Noir: The Star of Gibbston
Central Otago is the world's southernmost wine region, and Pinot Noir thrives here like nowhere else in New Zealand. The grape needs cool nights and warm days to develop its signature complexity -- dark cherry fruit, earthy undertones, silky tannins. Gibbston's altitude (around 400 metres) and schist soils deliver exactly that.
Every winery on this trail produces Pinot Noir, and every one tastes different. That variety within a single grape is what makes a Gibbston winery day so interesting. You'll quickly develop preferences. And you'll almost certainly buy a few bottles to take home.
Visiting Tips
Opening hours: Most cellar doors open around 10 am and close between 4-5 pm. Some are seasonal. Check before you go or let us know your must-visits when you book and we'll confirm times.
Tasting fees: Most wineries charge a small tasting fee ($5-15) which is typically waived if you buy a bottle. Some are free.
How many to visit: Three to five is the sweet spot. Eight in one day is technically possible but you won't remember the last three.
Eating: Gibbston Valley restaurant, Kinross bistro, and the Gibbston Tavern all serve excellent food. Eat between tastings. Your future self will thank you.
The Best Way to Visit Them All
You could drive. But then someone misses out on the wine. You could book a tour bus. But then you're on someone else's schedule, herded between two or three stops with a group of strangers.
Or you could ride an e-bike. Whizzy shuttles you to the top of the Gibbston Valley trail and you cycle between the wineries at your own pace. Stop where you want, skip what doesn't interest you, linger at the ones you love. The e-bike does the pedalling so fitness is irrelevant. And the ride through the Kawarau Gorge is spectacular in its own right.
$149 per person includes the e-bike, helmet, shuttle, trail maps, pannier bag, and phone support. No timetable. No group. Just you, the trail, and world-class wineries.