Today our goal was to visit three wineries in order to get a broader knowledge of the wines from Central Otago. However, by the end of our second winery visit today, which included a scrumptious lunch, we decided to head home for a little nap.

Before wine tasting we stopped at a popular garden nursery café for a coffee and a cheese scone. While enjoying ourselves and commenting on just how good the coffees and scone were, we were greeted by Elaine (from Quartz Reef Wines) who we had met yesterday. She was in for a chat and asked where we were going today. She gave us a thumbs up on our choices. And when asked if we had missed anything, she commented that we had everything under control as far as this area, before heading off to join her friend for morning tea.

First winery visit was Mt Difficulty, which is located on Felton Road about 5km out of Cromwell in the Bannockburn sub-region of Central Otago.

Mick opted to do the premium Pinot Noir tasting, five wines for $30, and I selected the mixed tasting for $20, and we shared. We like the idea of paying for a tasting as this means we can leave empty-handed if we want to, without feeling guilty. Usually wineries waver the tasting fee if you purchase a bottle of wine, but here it was wavered if you bought three.

Our hostess for our wine tastings was very knowledgeable, and a local. Her accent was very noticeable. Mick asked who owned the winery and was told that Foley Wines, specifically Bill Foley – an American billionaire.

When I got back home I ‘Googled’ Bill Foley and found out that in 2017 Mt Difficulty was bought for around $35 million. Peanuts to a billionaire! Since Foley Wines has taken over what is Central Otago’s largest winery (and vineyards), changes have been made to production including having all the wine shipped to Blenheim in the northern part of the South Island to have the wines bottled, before they are shipped back for sale in the Cellar Door and restaurant. Now that would add to the carbon footprint of a bottle of wine from here. Prior to that, the wine was bottled in Cromwell township at the large bottling factory we spotted yesterday.

The wines were good, and of course Mick liked the most expensive Pinot he tried – a 2017 Packspur Pinot Noir Vintage Release. Bottles of this sell for $150NZ.

His next favourite was a younger Pinot, as he prefers the fruitiness of the young varietal. The 2023 Ghost Town Pinot Noir retails for $65 a bottle.

I enjoyed the Chardonnay, but was not such a big fan of their Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc or their Riesling which were on my tasting menu.

Our hostess explained the history of this region and winery and surprised us when she said that Central Otago produces only 1% of NZ’s wines. I double checked her when I got home and found that it is closer to 5%. But still not much.

Regardless, we paid for our tastings and the experience and the views but left empty-handed. Mick was very pleased we did so when he found out later that Bill Foley is a major Trump supporter. (I couldn’t have got him to go there if he had known that beforehand).

A report by the San Francisco Chronicle said Foley had donated US$255,600 (NZ$393,939) to United States President Donald Trump between 2016 and 2020. It was the second-largest donation by a California vintner or winery executive to the Trump campaign, the paper said.

Next stop was only a few minutes away, still on Felton Road to Desert Heart Wines. Elaine our new friend in Cromwell had recommended we come here and have lunch. We arrived without a booking but luckily we were very well catered for. This winery is famous for its aged Pinot Noirs. But as we learnt during our visit, it is famous for so much more.

A call was made to get Phil (a retired winemaker who lives in a tiny home on the edge of the lake on the property) to come up to the converted shed and shipping container construction to give us a tasting. This place clearly is more geared as a restaurant / café – as Mick and I were the only two tasting.

Phil studied winemaking in Wagga Wagga (NSW) as a mature-age student back in the late 1980s. He’d moved there with his wife and children for that purpose, and obviously impressed his tutors. He told us how he was awarded a scholarship to study at what is now Charles Sturt University before they realised he was from New Zealand. Only Australians were supposed to qualify.

Anyway, Phil explained more to us about the chemistry of wines and the processes of wine making, about why wines taste and smell differently, all the time while we were sampling the different wines.

He also told us the history behind the current location of the vineyard.

The original Desert Heart winery was located a short distance from here, on Felton Road. Around late 2013 to early 2014 it was sold to Sam Neill, the actor. It was his fourth vineyard purchase at the time. A quote published by Harpers.co.uk in January 2014…..

He (Neill) said he had been looking in the area in order to help further differentiate his Two Paddocks range of wines. “This puts us in the unique position of being the only Central Otago winery with a footprint in all three of Central Otagos great valleys, by owning vineyards in Gibbston, the Alexandra Basin and now the Cromwell Basin. I believe it demonstrates our faith and confidence in the future of New Zealand wine, Central Otago and, in particular, Central Otago Pinot Noir.”

The original owners of Desert Heart (Denny and Jane) then bought the parcel of land that is used today, planted vines and kept their original name for the winery.

They have employed various wine makers to do the magic with their fruit and it certainly impressed us. Before heading to the covered restaurant area for lunch, we had bought 6 bottles of their wines.

Now we just have to work out how we can bring some home with us.