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The Spire
A sleek boutique hotel in picturesque Queenstown, a 15-minute drive from the vines. Church Lane; 64-3/441-0004; thespirehotels.com; doubles from $656.
Amisfield
The best of the area’s winery-based restaurants, it fills to capacity on weekends. Dress in layers due to the changeable weather, and request a courtyard table. 10 Lake Hayes Rd., Queenstown; 64-3/442-0556; amisfield.co.nz.; lunch for two $60.
Inspire Restaurant and Bar
The Spire’s restaurant is spare and intimate, and its 10-course tasting menu is the most interesting dining experience in the region. The wine list includes older vintages from Felton Road, and martinis are a specialty. The Spire hotel; 64-3/441-0004; dinner for two $110.
Amisfield
These subtle wines are sourced from young vines at a former sheep farm in the Cromwell Basin, then aged and sold at a modern stone-and-glass cottage on Lake Hayes. 10 Lake Hayes Rd., Queenstown; 64-3/442-0556; amisfield.co.nz.
Felton Road
The region’s top producer, Felton sets the Southern Hemisphere’s standard for Pinot Noir. And be sure to try the Block 1 Riesling, a white wine with a touch of residual sugar that isn’t distributed internationally. Bannockburn; 64-3/445-0885; feltonroad.com.
Peregrine
The lure at this winery is the Pinnacle Pinot Noir, blended from the four best barrels harvested each year. Only 100 bottles of the inaugural vintage, released last December, were shipped to America. Visitors to the winery can taste the new vintage alongside the standard releases. Kawarau Gorge Rd., Queenstown; 64-3/442-4000; peregrinewines.co.nz.
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