Cromwell’s Walking Wine Trail a Runaway Success

CROMWELL, Central Otago, New Zealand, 4 December 2017 – Over the three months that the 4 Barrels Walking Wine Trail has been operating, hundreds of people armed with a trail map have embarked on the picturesque 8-kilometre loop which weaves around Lake Dunstan, past local orchards and vineyards and to four of Cromwell’s premium Tasting Rooms. The wine trail, the first of its kind in Central Otago, was developed by four Cromwell based wine producers; Aurum Wines, Misha’s Vineyard, Scott Base and Wooing Tree Vineyard.

“Since the launch of the 4 Barrels Walking Wine Trail, it’s become one of the most requested maps” said Nick Lanham Central Otago i-SITEs Manager. “People love the idea they can easily walk or cycle to four local Tasting Rooms and experience fabulous scenery and taste a great range of Central Otago wines” he added.

Now visitors and locals based in Queenstown also have the opportunity to experience the 4 Barrels Walking Wine Trail with one of the longest running wine tour companies in the region, Queenstown Wine Trail. Over summer the company is offering a daily Walk & Wine Tour which takes visitors to a winery in Gibbston Valley prior to dropping them in Cromwell at the first Tasting Room on the Trail, equipped with a Walk & Wine back pack. Walkers are then picked up mid-afternoon from the final Tasting Room for their journey back to Queenstown.

The easy-to-navigate 4 Barrels trail map is about to have its fourth reprint to ensure there are enough stocks for the busy summer period when the number of walkers is set to increase exponentially! Each quarter, a winner is randomly selected from those who have completed the trail and had the passport page of their map stamped by each of the participating Tasting Rooms. The prize is a case of wine comprising premium selections from each winery.

The first winner drawn from those completing the trail over spring is Merle Holland from Auckland, who walked the wine trail with two friends in October. Merle is delighted to be the inaugural winner and plans sharing the wine with her two walking friends – all of whom thoroughly enjoyed their time visiting Central Otago with the 4 Barrels Walking Wine Trail being one of the highlights! The ladies describe themselves as ‘wine lovers’ and enjoy testing their wine knowledge at competition tastings, so a mixed case of wine is the perfect prize!

Over the first three months that the trail has been operating, there have been some minor changes and improvements to the map and to the trail itself. “We have increased the number of trail markers to make navigating the route even easier” said Jane Bews, co-owner and cellar door manager for Wooing Tree Vineyard. “We have also revised the stated minimum time it takes to complete the trail to four hours because we’re finding that people enjoy themselves so much and are spending more time at the wineries. For some groups, it can almost be a full day’s activity if they’re having a leisurely stop for lunch” she added.

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About 4 Barrels Walking Wine Trail www.mishasvineyard.com
The 4 Barrels Walking Wine Trail has been unveiled providing an easy way for tourists and locals to navigate around four of Central Otago’s premium Tasting Rooms by foot. The self-paced 8-kilometre loop trail includes Misha’s Vineyard, Aurum Wines, Scott Base and Wooing Tree Vineyard, as well as capturing some wonderful scenery through orchards and around Lake Dunstan. The wine trail, the first of its kind. in Central Otago, has a total walking time of approximately 90 minutes and can be completed in 4 hours (min) assuming 30-minute stops at each tasting room with trail times extended if including a lunch break along the way. At three of the tasting rooms there are lunch and/or platters available or there is the option of bringing one’s own picnic and finding a scenic spot. The 4 Barrels Walking Wine Trail is free, with the only costs being wine tasting fees (which are redeemable on a wine purchase), as well as optional food purchases. Wine Trail Maps are available at the Cromwell i-SITE Visitor Information Centre, Cromwell accommodation providers and each of the Tasting Rooms.

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