Rippon

One of the most beautiful wineries in the world, easily accessible from Wanaka's city centre. Views were incredible. Photos should tell the entire story. The wine tasting session was fun and informative. Hard to believe it was free. You do have to make a reservation in advance. Courtney was very knowledgeable and engaging. We ended up buying a bottle of riesling and we look forward to trying it back home!

Had lovely wine tasting experience here. You can book wine tasting on their website and it's free. The lady was so friendly and lovely to all the guests. Wines are very easy to drink. Their rose and rose buubly is so delicious! Ended up buying two bottles.

This winery has a huge land that overlooks Lake Wānaka. The view of Lake Wānaka and the grapevine is breathtakingly gorgeous. We didn’t make a reservation in advance and were lucky to have wine tasting within half an hour wait. Can’t say much about the wine here, since I am a beer lover who only came here with my wine-loving friends. It’s still fun to learn about the variety of wines and the history of the winery.

If you are planning on getting married, this absolutely is the venue!! We are SO lucky to have been able to get married here. Sienna, Charlotte and Bis are the absolute dream team & we couldn't have asked for more. Thank you so much for facilitating the happiest day of our lives. Rippon will forever hold a special place in our hearts & we can thank the incredible team & amazing views for that. Thank you so much!!

Amazing views and wine. We decided to stop by and asked if we could join the wine tasting, luckily they had a spot for us! The hosts were very friendly and was a nice atmosphere, the wines were great and we had plenty time to enjoy the breathtaking views.

Rippon is an amazing and warm experience. The people are lovely. We did the tasting and the staff were very engaging. Had a great conversation and learnt a lot. They had a wedding planned today and all staff were still making sure tasting patrons were well attended to. We had a group of 4 and already talking about coming again. Looking forward to the next one. Thank you to the awesome team here!

Absolutely stunning winery with a beautiful outlook over the lake. The only downside was the fairly hasty tasting session, with the expectation that you buy a bottle, but nowhere to stay and drink said bottle. Felt sort of rushed in and out and would have loved to take in the views on the grounds for a bit longer!

We had a wine tasting today and it was very nice. You need to book ahead, and they hold tastings for small groups every 30 min. We tasted several wines; they were all nice but we enjoyed the riesling the best. Their philosophy is very interesting and one I was happy to support by buying a bottle (the tastings are free). If you're staying in Wanaka consider walking to the winery... it's a lovely 45 min on the lake path, and a 10 min walk uphill (the trail switchbacks so it's not as steep as it looks!) to the winery. The views of the lake and vines are fantastic. The winery grounds are beautiful as well.

The free tasting was amazing! Awesome views, great customer service, we learned a lot about the local wines and the processes they have in place. The winery itself is beautifully placed with great scenic pictures for the taking. We left with a few bottles, it is really that good. Definitely come here and schedule a tasting!

Book in advance! They won't let you in unless you have a reservation made already. Pros: - Free Tasting - Insane view of Lake Wanaka - Service - very friendly and super informative Cons: - We liked most of their wine but not their Pinot which is what they are famous for. However, most else in our group loved the Pinot so I am not going to give them 4 stars just for that. We would definitely love to spend more time here and walk the grounds. It would be a gorgeous wedding venue on a sunny/not windy day. Loved it here!

I had the pleasure of coming here when I visited lake Wanaka with some friends. It is a winery that is located on the top of one of the hills surrounding the lake. What can be better than hanging out with friends while drinking wine surrounded by a gorgeous view? We didn't have to make any reservations. We showed up and were allowed to walk the grounds and building before partaking in some wine tastings. Which were very tasty.

Gorgeous gorgeous view. Lovely property and nice tasting room. Their wines were okay... probably better for someone that likes whites, but only a couple reds. It is very nice that the tasting is FREE, which is unheard of in New Zealand, but you do have to listen to them tell you how they are different than all the other vineyards in New Zealand....

This is really a fun place! I went with my husband on ass gorgeous day and we had a fantastic time! Sooo romantic sipping wine with this fantastic view! The view and atmosphere is easily 5 stars. And they offer FREE wine tastings! This place has an amazing view of lake wanaka and you can walk around at your leasure and take pictures. This alone is worth a visit. Maybe I judged a little harsh but I just was not a huge fan of the wine itself so I took off a star for that. But it's probably just my wine pallet and I'm by no means a wine export. The staff was friendly as well. This place is definitely worth a visit if your in the area and the price is right! I would highly recommend a visit and maybe you will like the wine more than I did. I would rate 4.5 stars if I could...

The main thing to note about Rippon - and, frankly, the main reason we swung by here instead of driving straight from Mt. Aspiring National Park to Queenstown - is the absolutely stunning view you will get here. I'm not a huge wine person, but I have been to many vineyards in the U.S., and none of them come close to the jaw-dropping views that you will have here. After winding up a dirt road that's perhaps a bit narrow for regular cars to use as a 2-lane road, you reach the parking lot and see rows of grapes set against the backdrop of Lake Wanaka and the mountains, and it feels like you are in paradise. You can walk around the grounds a bit, and it is truly a beautiful place to grow and drink wine at. Speaking of the wine, the best, by far (IMO) was the 2012 Pinot Noir that we had at the tasting. 2012 was a great year weather-wise for Central Otago pinot noirs (at least according to the folks behind the bar!), and it really shows in how smooth and silky this vintage drinks. I venture to say it's even better than the one on the mature vines, which I drank elsewhere and felt was a tad dryer / jammier than the standard version. You also taste the 2011 vintage, which is a clear distinction (similar base flavors but way dryer), allowing you to really taste the difference in the climate from year to year. There are some whites to taste as well (the sauvignon blanc is definitely more on the herbal side, while the Gewurtztraminer has a nice, mellower taste to it), but none matched the high note that the 2012 Pinot Noir hits. Unfortunately, you cannot drink any by the glass here, so unless you are planning on taking down a bottle on the spot, the sample is as much as you will taste there. We also had a cheese and charcuterie plate - a bit less impressive than the wine, unfortunately. Crackers were the most plentiful food item served, with a small piece of spiced boar spread (not very flavorful and a bit small) and Brie that was not very creamy either. It put a bit of a damper after the initial high from the views and the wine tasting, but overall, Rippon is still a place worth visiting, if even only for the picturesque views that you will never forget.

A biodynamic vineyard with lovely rieslings and Pinot noirs and a simply spectacular view!! Have a tasting and then enjoy a bottle of your favorite while taking in your surroundings!! :)

Amazing!!! Stop here for the view alone. Extremely friendly staff and terrific wine. Aside from the tree, this should be your second must do in Wanaka!