This Content Is Only For Subscribers
A new vineyard stay invites guests to experience one of New Zealand’s most distinctive wine regions first hand.
One of New Zealand’s most intriguing cool-climate vineyards has opened a new way to experience the Waitaki Valley, with Clos Ostler unveiling three architecturally designed Off-Grid Vineyard Suites set among the vines of its North Otago estate.
Located on a north-facing limestone escarpment overlooking the Waitaki Valley, the privately owned Clos Ostler vineyard is known for its award-winning Pinot Noir, alongside Chardonnay and Pinot Gris grown exclusively from the single vineyard.
Now, for the first time, guests can stay within the landscape behind the wines.
Set quietly among the vines, the three private suites have been designed to immerse guests in the surrounding vineyard, mountains and river valley while leaving a deliberately light footprint on the land.
Each suite operates off-grid using solar power and gas hot water and features expansive vineyard views, an outdoor bathtub, fireplace, kitchenette, lounge area and super king bed.
The experience is intentionally intimate and independent. Guests arrive to a bottle of Clos Ostler wine, estate breakfast provisions and a complimentary minibar, before settling into a landscape that remains relatively undiscovered compared with many of New Zealand’s better-known wine regions.
Clos Ostler director Connor Roulet Magides says the suites create a natural extension of the vineyard.
“Wine allows us to experience a place long after the season has passed. The Vineyard Suites give our guests the opportunity to experience that place first-hand – to wake up among the vines, see the landscape and climate that shape our wines and spend time in a part of New Zealand that still feels wonderfully undiscovered.”
The opening comes during a period of growing recognition for Clos Ostler internationally.
Its EOS Pinot Noir 2022 was awarded 97 points and Platinum at the Decanter World Wine Awards, while Caroline’s Pinot Noir 2021 received 96 points at the International Wine Challenge, alongside Best New Zealand Red Wine, Best New Zealand Pinot Noir and Best North Otago Pinot Noir.
The vineyard itself has been some 38 million years in the making. Ancient limestone soils, cool seasons and the Waitaki Valley’s marginal climate combine to create wines characterised by precision, purity and a strong expression of place.
The Vineyard Suites allow guests to explore that sense of place well beyond the cellar.
The vineyard is approximately 10 minutes from Kurow, 30 minutes from Oamaru and three hours by road from Queenstown, placing guests within easy reach of the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail, neighbouring Waitaki cellar doors and dining, the historic towns of Oamaru, Duntroon and Kurow, and landscapes including the Clay Cliffs, Elephant Rocks and Moeraki Boulders.
STAY DETAILS
There are three Clos Ostler Off-Grid Vineyard Suites, each accommodating two guests. Rates begin from NZ$800 per suite, per night for stays of two nights or more, including a welcome bottle of Clos Ostler wine, estate provisions for a self-prepared breakfast and minibar refreshments.
The Clos Ostler Off-Grid Vineyard Suites are now open for stays.
