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DURATION: Full day
TIME: Upon Request
INCLUDES: Transfers, Wine Tastings, Platter Lunch & Private Helicopter Flight
AVAILABLE: All Year Round
Alpine Luxury Tours has partnered exclusively with Mora Wines to offer you an exclusive Central Otago Heli Wine Tasting. This includes the addition of the New Valli Wine Bar in Waitaki, where you will experience Grant Taylors’ award-winning VALLI Wine range.
Firstly travel by private helicopter from Queenstown to Vale Barn (Mora Wines’s exclusive Cellar Door) where your vineyard host will welcome you onto the property.
The Vale Vineyard at nearly 5ha, is a collection of Pinot Noir grapes and a Certified Organic Vineyard. With your host, you will sample fresh, vibrant and pure wines from the world’s southernmost wine region. During your exclusive tasting, your host will include 4-5 celebrated Mora Wines with a cheeseboard, sampling some of the best Central Otago produce. With exclusive use of this vineyard, by all means, you are welcome to wander the vines and experience the cellar door barn fully without the interruption of other visitors.
Then, board the helicopter again to travel on towards the scenic Waitaki wine region. On a clear day you can spot the peaks of Mt Aspiring and Aoraki/Mt Cook. Arriving at the VALLI Vineyard your host Andrew Macfarlane will welcome you and provide a short private tour of the vineyard before driving you to the VALLI Cellar Wine Bar. Located in the historic Kurow Post Office it is an inviting space to learn about the region’s history. It is here that you will enjoy a private tasting of the award-winning wines.
VALLI is the creation of Pioneer Otago Winemaker Grant Taylor. VALLI was founded in 1998 to create premium wines highlighting the different characteristics of Otago’s sub-regions: Gibbston, Bannockburn, and Bendigo in Central Otago and the Waitaki Valley in North Otago. In 2015, established Otago winemaker Jen Parr (Gourmet Traveller WINE’s New Zealand Winemaker of the Year 2020) joined Grant in the winery. Now the pair aim to create wines with honesty, integrity, and most importantly, a sense of place. When you drink a VALLI wine, you are enjoying more than just a wine: you are experiencing a place. Enjoy a tasting of 4-5 of the best the Waitaki has to offer, including Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Noir.
Your host will then return you to your helicopter and during your return flight you can experience a scenic landing with views over Central Otago, St Bathans, Kurow and (on a good day), out to the Pacific Ocean. Finally, your pilot will fly you over the Bannockburn and Gibbston Valley wine regions before descending towards Queenstown to end your wonderful day of discovery.
Altogether this heli wine-tasting experience is honest, unique and memorable. Learn from the winemakers, walk through the vineyards and taste the wine at the Cellar Doors without any interruption. An unparalleled opportunity to indulge in some of the finest wines that New Zealand has to offer. This experience is certainly tailored to cater to the needs and preferences of our guests. From private vineyard tours to tastings guided by expert sommeliers, every detail is crafted to ensure that guests have an unforgettable journey through the world of wine. The experience is set against the backdrop of breathtaking vineyards with stunning views of the countryside, making it the perfect setting for a luxurious and indulgent retreat. Comparatively, this elite wine experience is truly one of a kind.
Our private, luxury fleet is available during your stay. We can assist with:
• Airport Transfers
• Transfers to your Accommodation
• Transport for Dinner Reservations and Appointments
• Golf or Activity Transfers
Enquire here or add a transfer request to your booking form.
TOUR: Exclusive Central Otago and Waitaki Heli Wine Tasting Experience
