Otago Daily Times

Potential in tourists’ taste for wine

- By PAM JONES

THE potential of wine tourism in Central Otago is ‘‘massive’’ and will be a core plank in the Central Otago Wine Associatio­n’s (COWA) new wine strategy, its president Angus Bradshaw says.

‘‘We have seen a large increase in investment in cellar door offerings across the region and we know that food and wine tourism is one of the strongest growth segments with internatio­nal travellers.’’

COWA manager Glenys Coughlan estimated last year the investment of Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes district winegrower­s in new and improved facilities would have been ‘‘several million dollars in recent times’’.

Several new tasting rooms opened last summer, and more are on the way.

New facilities include new tasting rooms at Domain Road Vineyard, in Bannockbur­n; Quest Vineyard’s cellar door, in the Freeway Orchard complex, near Cromwell; a tasting room for Bendigo vineyard Mishas Vineyard offsite, next door to Quest’s tasting room, near Cromwell; a tasting room at Archangel Vineyard, at Queensberr­y; and a new cellar door for Remarkable Wines at Cairnmuir Rd, in

Bannockbur­n.

Other new tasting rooms soon to open or planned include facilities at Desert Heart, at Bannockbur­n; Wine Solutions, in Cromwell’s industrial area; Maori Point Vineyard, at Tarras; and a new wine and function centre for Tarras Vineyard, in Bendigo.

Mr Bradshaw said Central Otago’s wines continued to also be promoted at a range of events, such as trade promotions and by hosting wine writers, wine critics, wine distributo­rs and wine retailers.

‘‘We know that once these people have visited Central Otago they fall in love with the place and the people and become real advocates for our wines.

‘‘Nothing beats that firsthand experience, and we invest tens of thousands of dollars in running these promotions each year.’’

pam.jones@odt.co.nz

 ?? PHOTO: SUPPLIED ?? New investment . . . The new tasting rooms (centre) at Domain Road Vineyard, at Bannockbur­n, started out as shipping containers. Wine tourism is exploding in the region, and has massive potential, the Central Otago Wine Associatio­n says.
PHOTO: SUPPLIED New investment . . . The new tasting rooms (centre) at Domain Road Vineyard, at Bannockbur­n, started out as shipping containers. Wine tourism is exploding in the region, and has massive potential, the Central Otago Wine Associatio­n says.

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