Central Otago

Given that beer seems to be the poor relation at this end of the country, we decided last night to discover what the wines of Central Otago had to offer. The surrounding area is home to many vineyards and wineries, but the first challenge was not getting to them, but being able to get back again in a legal fashion after having sampled their wares.

Fortunately, Gibbston Valley winery offers transport in and out of Queenstown to their 'cellar door', from which others can be explored. Together with a local bike rental company, Rabbit Ridge, they offer the opportunity to travel along the Kawarau River on two wheels. I was keen to do this, while K was happy with a short walk along the river's edge.

Sadly, we awoke to a cheerless sky and more of the chilled air that greeted us on arriving in town yesterday. Fortifying ourselves against the weather and for a day of wine sampling with a fried egg sandwich (cooked in a less than salubrious environment), we eschewed the adrenaline sports for which the area is famed and met the 'wine bus' in town.

Our friendly driver not only took us to the aforementioned cellar door, but detoured via Arrowtown for a quick look at the picture-perfect small township built on the spoils of gold and the people that found it, then gambled, drank and (presumably) whored their riches away. The golden orange autumn colours accented the white-painted timber housing and more traditional 'schist' rock cottages. The schist rock is found in the area, is very hard and a good insulator and its presence in the ground is also the reason why the region is so good for growing certain grapes.

Very nearly impossible grapes

At Gibbston Valley, we started with a tour of their winery - the harvest was in and the workers were plunging the grapes in the outdoor fermentation vessels - followed by the Pinot Noir vineyard, and finally the cellar. Gibbston Valley is the oldest winery in Central Otago, started only thirty years ago by an Irishman, Alan Brady, as his retirement. Given that this is the most southerly point at which grapes can be grown (even over the hill, it's impossible), most thought him mad. However, Pinot Noir grows well in the soil here and forms the backbone of the winery's offering.

Barrels all the way down

The cellar was blasted out of the schist rock with dynamite and houses, among a library of all the wines ever produced there, rows of French Burgundy oak barrels awaiting the Pinot Noir with which they will be filled. The cave will keep them at a constant 13.5°C year round. It was also where we tasted a cross-section of wines: a Riesling (much maligned as a style but this was lemony fresh), a Pinot Gris (the "crowd pleaser", full of soft stone fruit flavours), and of course a Pinot Noir. I struggle to get to grips with Pinot Noir, often finding the forest fruits flavours too young and tart. This wine, although expertly crafted, was no exception.

Our guide had a youthful authority and confidence, without being arrogant, and was clearly impassioned about the weight of history behind producing wine. I find snobbishness hard to tolerate if it is born of an air of exclusivity, rather than a passion and deep knowledge of the industry. Thankfully, Gibbston Valley has more of the latter than the former, but still manages to create an atmosphere of sophistication. Nevertheless, it is very different to the casual levity with which brewery tours and tastings that we have been to are conducted.

Having got a light wine jacket on against the fresh air (the tastings were very small), I picked up a bike with the fattest tyres I have ever seen.

Phat with a P. H.

I was unleashed on the gravel track that hugs the Kawarau River, many metres below, and wends its way through the valley.

Kawarau River

Fortuitously, the sun peeked out soon after setting out, changing the temperament of the day from winter to summer and causing me to strip off the layers I had found necessary this morning.

Friendly rams

I cruised my way up as far as Waitiri Creek before returning to the ultramodern Peregrine, at which K had just arrived on foot.

Wine shed

There we sampled six excellent wines, both agreeing that the whites outshone the reds, despite the region's notoriety for Pinot Noir grapes.

K returned to our starting point, while I cycled via the Kawarau suspension bridge, off of which people bungee (or bungy) jump every day.

Supermaaaaagh!

A. J. Hackett was the first person to set up the business of jumping from the bridge attached only by a piece of elastic and, like Alan Brady, most thought he would fail. However, soon others followed in his footsteps and as I visited, someone jumped every five minutes, or as soon as they could unhook the last person and attach the next. The few thrilling seconds will set you back $195NZ ($75 when it started back in 1988).

I met K back at Gibbston Valley, where we investigated the other business on the premises: the cheesery. This lived up to our hopes and delivered a delicious selection of five cheeses - a black pepper Gouda, a Balfour sheep's cheese, a Maasdam, a smoked cheese, and a creamy Brie - as well as crackers, bread, and hummus and pesto that refused to be outshone by the main event. These we enjoyed in the sunshine and paired ourselves with two wine tasting boards of Speigelau glasses that had been lightly moistened with a selection of four Pinot Noirs and four Single Vineyard whites.

Cheese? And wine? You spoil us

For me, the reds were characterised by dryness and acidity, which I put down to my taste for the region's style, preferring rich and full-bodied Malbec and Carmenere from South America. Of the whites, however, Le Foux Riesling (named after 'the fool' Alan Brady) stood out, so I relaxed with a glass of this by the fire - the weather having turned chilly once again. K enjoyed a glass of the Noble, so named after the 'noble rot' that the infection botrytis can cause in grapes, causing them to concentrate their sugars on the vine and produce particularly sweet wines.

Me? The 13th Duke of Wymbourne.... 

Having been bussed back to Queenstown, we investigated the cool box to to ascertain the state of our fresh food. It didn't look good; despite the cooler weather, a number of things were approaching turning point, so K made a 'throw everything into the pan' curry using the remainder of a jar of tikka paste, tomatoes, squash, tofu, and mushrooms.

Turned out rather well, considering

After a day tasting fine wines, I was happy to pop open a locally brewed beer.

Mighty fine, indeed

The Bannockburn Brewing Co. is situated just outside of Cromwell on the banks of the Kawarau River. Their 'Killarabbit' double IPA - currently their only brew - surprised me with its slightly sour flavour alongside the hoppiness, presumably from the fact that it is fermented (not aged) in Pinot Noir barrels. Finally, a good use for the wine.