Fly to the vines.
Take to the skies for a scenic flight over the Gibbston wine region, including a glass of bubbles (sparkling wine) on a mountaintop, before landing at your first winery. Enjoy tastings of spectacular cool-climate wines at four of the region’s finest boutique cellar doors.
Your Heli Wine Tasting Journey Begins
You will be collected by the helicopter company at your Queenstown accommodation, and taken to their base for a safety briefing. Once up in the sky, enjoy a scenic helicopter flight taking you right across the Gibbston wine region and its vines below with incredible aerial views across the valley. Throughout the flight, the pilot will land on a mountaintop where you will take in the views with a complimentary glass of bubbles (sparkling wine).
Gibbston Valley Winery
Your helicopter will land down in the Gibbston wine region, and you will meet your Altitude Tours guide and continue by road. Our first location is the iconic Gibbston Valley Winery, one of the region’s founding wineries. Here we will join a guided tour through NZ’s largest underground wine cave and enjoy tastings of their world-famous wines.
Kinross
Kinross is a fantastic location to try a range of different wines from multiple winemakers. Along with producing their own, they will also showcase wines from smaller winemakers around the region. After your tasting, we allow extra time to enjoy lunch. Kinross has a range of delicious dishes on its menu, including pizzas, platters, smaller bites, and mains. This is ordered and paid directly on the day, giving you the flexibility to order what you would like based on your taste and budget.
Mt Rosa Wines
Mt Rosa is a smaller owner-operated winery and their stunning location is situated just below the impressive Nevis Bluff. Sitting in the vines, their newly built cellar door building gives you a sophisticated backdrop to a delicious tasting menu. Their cellar door host will take you through different varieties of their single-label wines. Their mulled wine is a customer highlight!
The Church Cellar Door
We finish our tasting tour at The Church Tasting Room. This is a picturesque location, in a small refurbished church sitting on large sweeping grounds. This is the tasting room for Mt Edward Wines, who are a family-run producer in Gibbston growing small batches from single vineyard sites. Their wines include Pinot Noir, Gamay, Chardonnay, and Chenin.
Experience the Unforgettable
We’re all about pairing good people with good wine, whether you’re recharging your batteries after endless days of play, an avid sightseer, or a wine enthusiast. Let us take you on a top-rated wine-tasting journey and experience more with Altitude Tours.
Our Wine Sampler tour was judged the world’s best wine tour 2020-2021 by Tripadvisor, Best of the Best awards, and the 4th best activity and tour in all of New Zealand – Read more here.
Fear of heights? Not to worry, you can join our Queenstown Wine Sampler Tour without the helicopter and instead be picked up from Queenstown by our friendly guide. We also have an afternoon Twilight Wine & Craft Beer Tour and Central Otago Full Day Food & Wine Tour as more great wine tour options.
*Please note minimum passenger numbers are required for the helicopter tour to operate.
Tour Overview.
Queenstown Heli Wine Tour
Elevate your Queenstown wine experience with Altitude’s Heli Wine Tour.
HUMBLE BRAGS
Multi-award winning tour operator.
Most 5 star reviews for Queenstown Wine Tours, Tripadvisor 2017 – 2021.
Wine Tour FAQ's
This flight has been specially created in theme with your wine tour. Your pilot will take you right across the Gibbston wine region, flying over the valley and its vines below.
The total time is 35-40 minutes and that includes the time in the air, as well as a mountain landing to enjoy a glass of bubbles.
The flight is subject to weather and minimum numbers (4). In the case when these numbers are not met, or mother nature interferes, you can choose to cancel, reschedule to another day, or travel by road on our regular Wine Sampler Tour.
We start with a cave tour at Gibbston Valley, followed by a tasting at the wonderful Kinross where we then stop for lunch. After lunch you’ll visit Mt Rosa and the fourth stop of the trip is at The Church Tasting Room!
Our lunch stop is at Kinross who offers main meals as well as sharing-style platters and bites. You’ll pay Kinross directly for these meals on the day.
Yes, however, we know good counselors!
Absolutely! Your guide will provide a menu and pre-order your meal at the beginning of the tour, just let them know of any dietary requirements and this can be catered for.
Being a wine-focused tour, it is designed to best entertain those 18 years and older.
Bring a warm layer for your mountaintop landing! Make sure to bring sun protection for those sunny days where you might want to enjoy outdoor tastings. For ideas on what NOT to wear check out our blog: What not to wear on a wine tour
Yes all of our wine guides are put through an intensive wine and beer accreditation specifically built for Altitude Tours. This includes theory on the history of wine, wine in the world, wine in NZ and wine in Central Otago. They also know when to stop delivering wine information and let you sit back, enjoy the sights and day out!
No, but you can buy any wine along the way from the cellar door we visit. All wine purchased is placed in the boot of the vehicle and passed over to you on completion of the tour so you can enjoy it after or later on your holiday.
The helicopter company will pick you up from your hotel and then your Altitude Tours guide will drop you back at the end of the day.
When booking, type in your accommodation. If it doesn’t come up just check in with us and we’ll let you know where is closest for you!
All levels of wine knowledge are welcome! From the beginner wine tasting to the expert wine connoisseur wanting to chat wine all day, our guides and tours will suit all.
Central Otago is famous for it’s Pinot Noir, so there will certainly be plenty of that to taste! Other varieties you’ll taste are Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé and Riesling.
For the helicopter, we will need 4 adults booked to confirm. But, if the heli doesn’t confirm you are still able to join our Wine Sampler by road – this only needs 3 adults to confirm and typically goes every day without any trouble!
Yes! All wine purchased is placed in the boot of the vehicle and passed over to you on completion of the tour so you can enjoy it after or later on your holiday.
You are not wrong! Altitude Tours was awarded the Worlds’ Best Wine Tour by Tripadvisor’s Best of the Best Awards 2021 – we are super proud!
We do not have any facilities to lift you into our vans, please get in touch to discuss your requirements, we will do our best to accommodate you.
WINE REGION
The best climate for the best wine.
Awarded
The Best Wine Tour in the World!
The worlds best wine tour just got better! introducing Altitude’s Helicopter Wine Tour
