from the region will be good, but its pinot
noir is justly famous. Pithy shelf notes help
the process of choosing a bottle from the
Arrowtown Wine Store, but if all else fails,
the expert staff will happily chat about the
respective merits of pinots from Gibbston
Valley, Bannockburn, Lowburn and Alexan-
dra.
An hour's drive over the Crown Range
takes you to Wanaka for a half-day guided
tour with Paddle Wanaka on the pristine
waters of the lake, and re-fuelling at Big
Fig, Federal Diner or Francesca's Italian
Kitchen.
If that sounds too much like hard work,
designate a sober driver and reserve a ta-
ble for lunch on the outdoor terrace at the
Mt Difficulty Cellar Door & Winery Restau-
rant. Trust me, the hardest part of your af-
ternoon will be leaving!
Make a brief stop on the way home – and
you will be feeling right at home by then –
at Mt Rosa Wines where your genial host
may be wearing gumboots and will serve up
a tasting of 7 or 8 smashing wines with local
cheeses in the old woolshed.
Not a bad (=an exceptionally good) way to
sign off on a sojourn in Central Otago, but
one visit is never enough. Fortunately, the
Karaka Sales are held every year!
