Queenstown Gin, Wine & Beer Tour | Adults Only

Queenstown is famous for big outdoor thrills, but this afternoon tour takes a gentler route: three drinks, three settings, and one scenic loop through the countryside. You begin near the Shotover River, continue to historic Arrowtown, and finish among Central Otago vines.

I like the choice for mixed groups, since beer drinkers can order a paddle, wine drinkers can take a flight, and gin fans get a proper hosted tasting. I also like the small vehicle, local commentary, and the chance of riding with Bella, the tour dog. The main thing to consider is timing: one 45-minute stop, especially the winery, may feel short if you want to linger or buy food.

Key points at a glance

• Three drinks in one afternoon: Taste local craft beer, New Zealand gin, and Central Otago wine without booking separate outings.
• Canyon Brewing by the Shotover River: Sip a beer paddle or wine flight with views toward the river and Skippers Canyon.
• Rifters in Dudley’s Cottage: Learn about a small-batch, grain-to-glass gin made with New Zealand botanicals and artesian water.
• Amisfield finishes the route: Taste elegant Central Otago wines at one of the region’s best-known cellar doors.
• Small-group transport: The air-conditioned Mercedes Sprinter holds a maximum of 10 people, making conversation and personal attention easier.
• A useful late start: The 3pm departure leaves most of your day free, though you should eat first because food is not included.

Why this 3:00pm tasting tour works well

This is not a single-subject wine excursion. It is built for a group with different tastes, or for anyone who wants a broad introduction to Queenstown’s drinking scene in one compact outing.

You get more than 12 tastings across wine, gin, and beer during about three and a half hours. That sounds generous, but the experience is paced as a sampler rather than a long, slow meal. You move from one venue to the next, listen to local commentary, and taste enough to work out what you like.

I especially like the 3pm start. You can spend the morning hiking, taking a boat trip, riding the gondola, or simply recovering from Queenstown’s many activities. Then you meet at Marmolada Cafe on Camp Street and head out for an afternoon of tastings.

The tour is adults-only, with a minimum drinking age of 18. It needs at least four bookings to operate. The small-group limit is listed as 10 people, although one description refers to a maximum of 11, so I would confirm the exact vehicle size if that detail matters to you.

Canyon Brewing and the Shotover River

The first tasting stop is Canyon Brewing, set near the Shotover River. This is a strong opening because the setting gives you a sense of Queenstown beyond its town center. The brewery sits beneath dramatic mountain country, with views toward the river and Skippers Canyon.

You receive a tasting paddle of local craft beers, or you can choose a wine flight instead. That choice matters. A mixed group does not need to split up, and you are not pushed toward a drink you do not enjoy.

The beer option lets you compare several brews in small pours rather than committing to a full glass. It is a relaxed way to begin, particularly if you are curious about local beer but do not know the brewery’s range. Wine drinkers can start with a different style of tasting before the later winery stop.

The setting is the real bonus here. Canyon Brewing combines food, drink, and scenery, so this is not simply a quick stop at a counter. You have about 45 minutes, enough for the tasting and a look around, though not enough for a full meal.

That last point is important. Food is not included in the tour, and the schedule does not appear designed around a sit-down lunch. Eat before departure. One useful piece of advice from the tour itself is to avoid arriving hungry, since you may not return to Queenstown until around 6:30pm.

Rifters Gin in Arrowtown’s Dudley’s Cottage

The route then moves to Arrowtown and Rifters Gin. The tasting room occupies Dudley’s Cottage, a historic building that gives the stop a more intimate feel than a large commercial distillery.

Rifters makes small-batch premium gin in New Zealand, using local production methods, botanicals, and pure artesian water. The hosted tasting explains the grain-to-glass process, so you get context for what is in the glass rather than simply receiving a row of samples.

This is likely to be the most personal stop of the afternoon. The tasting takes place in a compact room, and the guide can explain the gin choices as you work through them. Phillip has been singled out as an especially engaging host at Rifters, while the tour guides Emma and Lee are praised for making the afternoon easy to follow and enjoyable.

You do not need to be a serious gin drinker to appreciate this stop. The point is to see how botanicals change the character of a spirit, and to compare different expressions in a guided setting. If gin is your main interest, this may be the most memorable part of the trip.

Arrowtown also gives the outing a welcome change of pace. The day begins with a modern brewery beside a river, then shifts to a historic cottage in a former gold-mining town before ending at a Central Otago winery. The variety keeps the afternoon from feeling repetitive.

Amisfield and the final Central Otago wines

The final stop is Amisfield Cellar Door, one of the area’s best-known wine destinations. Its dramatic stone building and views of the surrounding countryside give the finish a polished feel.

Amisfield is associated with elegant Central Otago wines, and this is where the wine side of the tour gets its fullest attention. You can expect a seated or hosted tasting format, with several wines presented and explained by the cellar-door team or your guide.

The winery is a fitting final stop because Central Otago is one of New Zealand’s key wine regions. The tasting gives you a clearer sense of the local style after the more general introduction at Canyon Brewing.

Allow yourself to stay focused on the clock here. One person found the winery stop a little rushed, particularly when tasting several wines in about 45 minutes. That does not make it a poor stop, but it does mean you may not have time for a long browse, a leisurely purchase, or food at the end.

The tour does not include a cheese platter or tapas. You can buy food at venues when available, but that is an extra cost. If you want the afternoon to feel like a full meal as well as a tasting, budget for that separately or eat beforehand.

The guide can shape the whole afternoon

A good guide matters on a tasting trip, and Alpine Wine Tours puts a local guide in the vehicle with you. Emma and Lee are the names most closely associated with the experience, and both bring local recommendations as well as drink information.

Emma is especially useful if you want ideas for Queenstown and the surrounding area. She has been praised for explaining the wines clearly, sharing local knowledge, and keeping conversation flowing without making the afternoon feel formal.

Lee brings a similar personal touch. Her experience with the tastings and easy conversation make her a good fit for people who prefer a friendly, informal outing rather than a lecture about production methods.

Bella, the company’s wine tour dog, may also come along. Her presence is not guaranteed, but if she is on board, she adds a lighthearted note to the drive. This is a small detail, yet it helps explain why the trip feels more like a hosted local outing than a large coach transfer.

The guide also helps with the practical side of tasting. You can ask about favorite wines, local breweries, gin styles, or places to eat later. With only 10 people at most, there is a better chance of getting a real answer instead of waiting for a crowded group to move along.

Transport, timing, and the feel of a small group

You travel in an air-conditioned Mercedes Sprinter. That is a comfortable choice for a route linking Queenstown, the Shotover area, Arrowtown, and the wineries beyond town.

The vehicle matters because this is an afternoon with several stops. You can look out at the mountain scenery between tastings instead of worrying about driving after drinking. The tour returns to the same Queenstown meeting point, so you do not need to arrange a separate pickup location at the end.

The listed meeting point is Marmolada Cafe at 43 Camp Street. The start time is 3pm, and the full outing lasts about three hours and 30 minutes.

The small group is one of the strongest practical features. A maximum of 10 people allows the guide to introduce the venues properly and keep the pace under control. It also makes the experience more social. You may come as a couple, a family of adults, or a group of friends and still have room to talk with people outside your own party.

This is not a tour for people who want to spend an entire afternoon at one cellar door. It is a moving tasting experience with several short visits. The reward is variety; the trade-off is limited time at each venue.

Is the price of $166.93 fair?

At $166.93 per person, this is not a cheap way to grab a drink. It is a paid experience that bundles transport, a local guide, more than 12 tastings, and entry to three different producers.

I think the price makes the most sense if you would otherwise pay for several separate tastings and need a safe way to travel between them. You are also paying for the route and the local connection. Canyon Brewing, Rifters, and Amisfield are not all within a short walk of one another, and arranging taxis between them would be inconvenient.

The value is strongest for first-time visitors to the Queenstown wine area, mixed-drink groups, and people who do not want to plan the logistics themselves. The tour gives you a simple afternoon structure and lets you taste across three categories.

The value is weaker if you are mainly interested in wine and want long cellar-door visits. A dedicated winery tour may give you more time with individual producers. It is also less attractive if you expect food to be included, since there is no complimentary cheese or tapas.

You should also factor in the tasting pace. More than 12 samples in three and a half hours is plenty for most people. The experience is about trying, comparing, and learning, not drinking large servings. That makes the price more reasonable for a focused tasting session, but it may not satisfy anyone looking for a long lunch with generous pours.

Who should book this experience?

I would recommend it for adults who want to sample several kinds of New Zealand drinks in one afternoon. It suits couples, friends, and adult family groups with mixed preferences particularly well.

Beer drinkers are not treated as an afterthought, since Canyon Brewing is a proper stop rather than a token sample. Gin fans get a dedicated tasting at Rifters. Wine drinkers receive attention at both Canyon Brewing, if they choose the wine flight, and Amisfield.

It is also a good fit for people who enjoy scenery but do not want a strenuous activity. The route gives you views of the Shotover River, Skippers Canyon, Arrowtown, and Central Otago countryside from the comfort of a guided vehicle.

You may want to skip it if you need a substantial meal, dislike changing venues, or prefer to spend two hours studying one producer. The 45-minute stop at Amisfield may feel too brief for serious wine shoppers, especially if you want time to eat.

The adults-only rule keeps the tone focused on tasting and conversation. It also means this is not an option for a family group with anyone under 18.

Booking details worth knowing

Confirmation is provided at booking, and a mobile ticket is available. The meeting point is in central Queenstown near public transport, which makes arrival straightforward for many visitors staying in town.

Most people can take part, and the tour is listed as suitable for most participants. The operator requires at least four bookings to run the experience. If that minimum is not reached, you are offered another date or experience, or a full refund.

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the 3pm start time. Changes or cancellations inside that 24-hour window are not accepted for a refund, so check your plans before booking.

Should you book the Queenstown Gin, Wine and Beer Tour?

Book it if you want a well-paced introduction to Queenstown’s beer, gin, and wine scene, with transport and local guidance handled for you. The Canyon Brewing views, Rifters tasting room, and Amisfield finish give the afternoon enough variety to feel like more than a series of bar visits.

I would make this a first or second day activity, when Emma or Lee’s local suggestions can help shape the rest of your Queenstown stay. Eat beforehand, keep your expectations focused on tasting rather than a meal, and accept that the final winery stop may feel short.

For an adults-only group that values scenery, conversation, and variety, the $166.93 price is defensible. For dedicated wine collectors seeking long tastings and detailed cellar-door time, choose a tour built around fewer wineries instead.

FAQ

Where does the Queenstown Gin, Wine and Beer Tour start?

The tour starts at Marmolada Cafe, 43 Camp Street, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand. It returns to the same meeting point at the end.

What time does the tour begin?

The scheduled start time is 3pm.

How long does the experience last?

The tour lasts approximately three hours and 30 minutes.

What drinks are included?

The experience includes alcoholic tastings of wine, beer, and gin, with more than 12 tastings in total. At Canyon Brewing, you can choose a craft beer tasting paddle or a wine flight.

Is the tour suitable for children?

No. This is an adults-only experience, and the minimum drinking age is 18.

How many people can join the tour?

The tour operates as a small-group experience with a maximum of 10 travelers listed for the activity. At least four people must be booked for it to operate.