We recently welcomed couple Lee and John as they booked into the one bedroom apartment. They have shared their locals Wanaka wine and beer tour recommendations.
Lee and John had discovered the back block of town. I know and love this neighbourhood. It is home to a faultlessly friendly bunch of brewers, growers and foodies. They have made the most of the quiet and pristine area that was once off the radar of visitors Now it has become an area favoured by the locals and it seems that some lucky visitors are discovering the magic too.
At Lake Wanaka Managed Accommodation, we greet every guest upon their arrival. We often also cross paths at the around town as they explore the beauty of a stay in Wanaka. When I met up with Lee and John, I enquired where they had been and what was on their list to see and do. They simply said “You’d be silly to think all the beauty in Wanaka resides on the lakefront.” They have shared their own Wanaka wine and beer tour here:
They started off on bikes with the first stop for lunch and coffee at Florence’s Café. It is famously known for its fantastic coffee which is arguably the best in town. There is also great cabinet food as well as a simple blackboard lunch menu.
Once they were fed and watered, they were back on their bikes. They only needed to turn left onto Orchard Road and left again onto Riverbank Road to arrive at their next stop.
Aitkens Foley is a family owned and run vineyard on the edge of town with a tasting room and door sales. Here John and Lee sampled the wines, their favourite being the Pinot Gris. This was the perfect place to choose a bottle to take home. Once they moved on, they headed back towards town down Ballantyne Rd. Then John’s choice was to stop at Groundup Brewing on Gordon Rd.
Wow! – they John was impressed with a line-up of 22 taps, all brewed on the premises. In addition there were plenty of other choices for Lee (the non-beer drinker). She loved the cider.
This is an ideal bar with both indoor (in the brewery) and outdoor seating. It was a perfect choice! John was delighted to find Ground Up’s brewer serving him and this led to them talking about all things beer. In fact, he later discovered there is also another brew bar further down the street. Gordon Road is also known for its various food trucks with Burrito Craft a favourite.
After the breweries, they popped into Janet Brown’s homewares store around the corner which is alongside Metalworks, full of all sorts of curiosities and art pieces. Their last stop that day was Maude Wines for a late afternoon tasting accompanied by a platter. They had booked a table for dinner at Lipsky and Son which is right back where they started next to Florence’s Café.
They certainly confirmed they had been to two of best eateries in town, had the wine that had been grown literally in the backyard and the best beer ever brewed in the town by locals for locals.
Many of our Lake Wanaka holiday homes and apartments offer complimentary bikes for our guests. We are always happy to provide local recommendations & advice to get the most our of your Wanaka holiday.
