Chard Farm

This is an absolute treasure of a winery with some of the best Gibbston valley Pinot Noir and delightful surprises such as a Central Otago Sauvignon Blanc with characteristic NZ South Island tropical pop of passion fruit! Who knew this was possible so far south! Chelsea, our wine tasting host, an educator really, looked after us exceptionally well. We enjoyed the tasting and learnt a lot in the process! Thoroughly recommended!

We had a wonderful time at Chard Farm! Their wine tastings are indeed known for their charm and romantic atmosphere. The setting, with its picturesque vineyards and rustic elegance, adds so much to the experience. The way the hosts explain the nuances of each wine—the flavors, aromas, and craftsmanship—truly elevates the tasting to an art form. Thank you Mr: D

I came back to this winery probably fourth or fifth time - going will all my friends who are first time in New Zealand or Queenstown , and this time I took my parents visiting from overseas. We really enjoyed our tasting. Very welcoming atmosphere and delicious wines. Special thanks to Pauline who conducted our tasting and showed us around in the winery where the bottles and barrels are stored. The views of the canyon were stunning. We also enjoyed the installations in the winery with a cute pig family made with wires and a girl on a bicycle made of wooden roots. The only problem my parents had - they did not manage to take all bottles we bought with them back overseas, we finished a few just days later while still in New Zealand!!

$20 wine tasting. Must book in advance, unlike some of the other wineries where you can show up and taste. Small tasting room and a positive overall experience.

What amazing wines from the 2nd oldest winery in the region. Our tasting with Dominic was perfection - loads of information, knowledgeable answers to all questions, colorful adjective-laden descriptions, and most of all - true passion for wine & the bottles being poured. And gorgeous property to top it all off!

Visited Wednesday 14th May - Wine Tasting We're not great on Pinot Noirs but the server was very patient and polite and genuinely explained to us the varieties of wines and the different climates that produces different wine tastes A very knowledgeable server and we are happy with our experiences there and felt very welcome Not all Pinot Noirs are great, but this is definitely will become one of our favs $20 per person for tasting of five wines and waived for each bottle purchased Highly recommended

We had a great wine tasting at Chard Farm today, hosted by the lovely Chelsea. Seven of us arrived without a booking, and they kindly squeezed us in for a really interactive and informative tasting of seven wines — excellent value for money. Chelsea made the whole experience fun and engaging. The driveway definitely adds a bit of adventure to the visit — a little treacherous, but all part of the charm! Highly recommend a visit.

We really enjoyed our mid-December ‘24 visit! The wine and the run through that Dominic provided us gave us a great sense of Chard’s operations and what makes them stand out from the others. The road in/out was a bit of fun, too! And best of all, the bottles we bought survived the long flight home ;)

We headed to Chard Farm Winery, a picturesque spot located on a rugged, winding road with views of the Kawarau Gorge. You will miss this winery if you're not looking for it. Known for its elegant Pinot Noir and vibrant whites, Chard Farm delivered exceptional wines with every pour.

You don't need a reservation for this winery and it's very close to Gibbston winery too. There's no charge for the tasting of 6 (your choice) wines, but they do ask for a donation to their local hospice. The staff is very nice and knowledgeable and we had a good time here trying the wines. The Mason pinot was my fave.

A lovely and historic winery in Gibbston sub-appellation of Otago wine region with some great Pinot and quite a few other varieties to taste as well. We visited Chard Farms as a part of a tour with Matthew from NZ win tours. We had asked him to take us to small, boutique wineries where the passions of the winemaker combine with terroir to produce something special. The first thing you notice is the heart-stopping view on the way up the drive of a beautiful green river (featured in lord of the rings) and the adrenaline junkies jumping off a high bridge on a bungie. This Winery has a sense a humor reminding you that sheep are not allowed inside the impressive Spanish-styled tasting room. Inside we were offered a large list of wines and guided by Matthew tried the 2016 closeburn chardonnay, 2015 Pinot Gris, 2016 Riesling , 2014Tiger Pinot-named for a long-time customer-one of our favorites, 2014 Viper Pinot -excellent and the 2014 mason vineyard Pinot. We left with a number of bottles of high-quality wine at reasonable prices. Definitely worth a visit

Wow we are so lucky that the very nice woman at Gibbston Winery recommended we make the trek to Chard Farm. It isn't easy to get to, but you end up on a historic road that wends its way around the mountains and the gorges of the Otago. In fact, this was the old wagon road to Queenstown and helped us appreciate how European settlers really worked hard to get from place to place. The wines here are excellent and in fact, they have a generous tasting policy, just contribute $10 to a local hospice if you don't buy a wine. Their Pinots are particularly good and their pricing is excellent. It is hard to find these wines anywhere but in the Otago, so if you get a chance, but a few bottles... For those of you who are Lord of the Rings fans, it is right on top of the River Andiun, so it doesn't take much to imagine Bilbo down there :-)

We got here a little earlier than they were due to open one day but Pauline very kindly accommodated us. The tastings are free, which is unusual in NZ, and the wines have a beautiful backdrop in the property itself, and even the drive uphill to get there.

Background for visitors: The tasting is $10 and goes to local hospice. The road to the estate can be terrifying but very beautiful. It was the old dirt road into Queenstown. Now for the review: we got to select 3 whites and 3 reds. I wasn't wowed by the whites. The reserve Pinot noir was my favorite with a smooth field. It's ready to drink now. We opted to take the gamble and get the regular Pinot noir, hoping it'll taste even better in a few years. The reason for fewer stars is service. Our group of 8 seemed to be too much. I was ignored a few times when asking for a particular taste. I also felt very rushed, contrary to the concept of leisurely tasting.

This was our favorite Gibbston Valley winery! The drive, views, and grounds were gorgeous! On top of that, the wines were delicious and the service was very good. Chard Farm is a bit of a drive off the main highway, but the views and quality wines make the trip worth it. Our favorite wine was the unoaked Closeburn Chardonnay! We also loved the Mata Au Pinot Noir. The service was warm and friendly. Note, no food is sold / served here, but the views should make it a great picnic spot. This place is wonderful!

They've got a crazy driveway and are not as large as some of the other wineries but definitely worth the trip. Staff are friendly and patient. Wine is great. I especially liked the Riesling.

Nice vine taste with very good vines. Also I got 25% discount because I work at the vineyard. But poorly we could not taste the tiger which a friend recommended to me.

Honest to goodness, I found this winery in my Lord of the Rings location guidebook. And I'm sure glad I did, because not only did I enjoy a lovely round of wine tastings, I gazed (in wonder) across to the River Anduin and mentally superimposed the Argonauth in my geek-stricken, impressionable mind. No, that was not the wine talking. The winery is nothing short of lovely. You travel along a light gravel road along a sort of cliff, which is where you get the amazing views of the bluest upon blue River Anduin (aka the Kawarau River). You then travel through the vineyard to the tasting room, where you can enjoy a full round of tastings for absolutely nothing. Note, if you don't buy a bottle, they politely encourage donations so bring your NZ dollars lest you make out to be a fool. I bought 2 bottles: Pinot Gris 2014 and River Run Pinot Noir 2013. Wish I could have bought more and spent much more time. Overall, this is a nice duel-purpose mellow outing that I would highly recommend to all. So show yourself the meaning of haste. Ride hard. And stop for nothing. Fly you fools!!!!!

A very nice selection of pinot noirs (I tried 5!) and very very nice wines. A lovely atmosphere and an interesting drive out there. Nice ladies who worked in the tasting room as well!

Wow this winery is amazing! We stumbled upon this place while looking for The Argonath on the Anduin River, Lord of the Rings film site. We loved all of their wines, especially the Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, and Chardonnay. Wine tasting is free if you make a purchase, otherwise they ask for a donation.