Revamped festival promises to be bigger and better than ever
Saturday 16 March marks the end of the Central Otago winemakers’ grape harvest - 6,000 tonnes of grapes to be precise. It is tradition to celebrate this haul, and changing of seasons, with a festival. This year’s revamped incarnation of the legendary Gibbston Harvest Festival is promising to be bigger and better than before under its new guise as Gibbston Wine & Food Festival.
Festival organiser Julie Hughes affirms that the change of name reflects a change of emphasis, though the core elements of the festival remain the same. She said: “It remains a harvest celebration, with all the associated buzz, but the focus is on sharing and showcasing Gibbston’s world-famous wines complemented by the region’s finest produce and talented chefs.”
The revised culinary focus of this year’s festival seeks to acknowledge Central Otago’s status as a region which not only makes world-class wines, but also yields exceptional local produce such as cheeses, stone fruits and meats.
In keeping with this foodie theme, master classes are being introduced at the festival. The classes will be run in conjunction with festival partner Queenstown Resort College and will cover a range of wine and food topics. The sensory experience class is a fun and insightful series of activities designed to test your palate and introduce you to food and wine matchings. Alan Brady, the godfather of Central Otago wines, will deliver a tasting class all about what makes the cool climate of this vineyard region so special. Other classes on the programme will educate attendees about winemaking methods, blending and wine appreciation. The festival’s celebrity line up comprises some of the Central Otago wine industry’s most prominent figures, including Gibbston wine pioneer Alan Brady and one of New Zealand’s most awarded winemakers, Valli Wines’ Grant Taylor, who recently won the award for best pinot at the international London’s Pinot Awards.
Master Classes at Gibbston Food and Wine Festival
A special highlight of the 2013 festival will be Arrowtown Primary’s launch of a ‘cleanskin’ blended wine. This wine is made from grapes crushed by Arrowtown Primary pupils and is a commemoration of 150 years of education at the local school.
This year’s festival is being hosted by two of Central Otago’s premier wineries, Mount Rosa and Brennan Wines, where festival-goers will be able to sample wines from eighteen wineries, taste food from ten stalls featuring local fare, soak up the atmosphere and enjoy live entertainment. Mount Rosa and Brennan Wines are situated in the ruggedly picturesque winemaking region, Gibbston Valley, only a 25 minute drive from central Queenstown. The opportunity to transport oneself from lakeside paradise, to a paradise of a different, more rustic kind and sample first-hand the famous wines of Central Otago, is a must for anyone visiting Queenstown at the time of the festival. The festival also provides a unique chance for visitors to mix with locals, experience legendary Kiwi hospitality and understand a little more about the industries which support Queenstown. This region is not only about adventure sports, as the festival will show, though the option to take a bungy jumping pit-stop is there, as you will pass by the world’s first commercial bungy at Kawarau Bridge, on your way into Gibbston Valley.
Brennan Wines
You might want to also combine your visit to the festival with a stop in Arrowtown, explore the Chinese Settlement Village, browse through the boutique shops and charming back streets and admire the changing season as lush green Arrowtown transcends to fiery autumn colours.
You could also extend your exploration of the Queenstown region by continuing on from the festival in Gibbston Valley, travelling through the rocky, winding Kawarau Gorge and on to Cromwell, home to fascinating gold mining history, beautiful wineries and the Central Otago Art Trail. Self-driving does give you more freedom to explore surrounding areas, but if you would rather take public transport and allow yourself the chance to indulge in the tempting local wines at the festival, buses will be available from central Queenstown. Festival ticket prices are very affordable at only $15, including three tasting tokens to get you started. Tickets can be bought in advance from the Gibbston Food and Wine Festival website and a special offer can be taken advantage of online. The website contains up to date information and is also the place to book any master classes you may be interested in.
Buckingham Street, Arrowtown
