The combination of Central Otago and Burgundy Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with authentic French cheeses sets the cellar door tastings at Domaine Thomson apart from other winery experiences.

General manager Claudio Hey says their Lowburn cellar door and tasting room overlooking Lake Dunstan and framed by the Dunstan and Pisa mountain ranges is the ideal location for visitors to sample the winery’s award-winning organic Central Otago wine along with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay produced in their Burgundy vineyards in France.

“To taste our signature Pinot Noir and Chardonnay allows guests to experience and compare the expressions of both these wines together from two different locations – or as the French say, terroirs. Our recently released 2024 Pinot Rosé is also extremely popular at the cellar door.”

Cheeseboard platters with genuine French cheeses are available with wine tastings if ordered ahead of a visit to Domaine Thomson.

“This is a point of difference,” says Claudio. “New Zealand makes some great cheeses but we feel that serving unpasteurised French cheeses such as Comté and Morbier ordered direct from
France adds to the epicurean experience of tasting our Burgundy wines – and equally they complement our Central Otago vintages.”

Claudio encourages advance bookings for wine tasting either online or directly with the winery.

“Reservations are definitely advisable to ensure we can cater to individual or group requirements.”

One Vision Two Hemispheres

The vision for Domaine Thomson, established by P M and the late David Hall-Jones was to be a specialist in Pinot Noir, a commitment the company has never veered from.

The 14-hectare Central Otago vineyard at Lowburn was first planted in Pinot Noir grapes in 2000 later expanding into Chardonnay vines. Practicing organics and bio dynamics the vineyard was fully certified as an organic producer in 2014 with BioGro.

In 2013 Domaine Thomson acquired a small parcel of Pinot Noir vines in Gevrey-Chambertin in Burgundy and later added to their collection with Chardonnay grapes and a further Pinot Noir site.

“With our vineyards in two hemispheres we were able to focus on our vision for our wines which are farmed organically in both locations,” says P M. “The first Surveyor Thomson Pinot Noir was produced from our Central Otago site in 2003 and both our New Zealand and French labels continue to have a high-profile amongst wine enthusiasts.”

Domaine Thomson takes its name from David’s great-great-grandfather John Turnbull Thomson who was an early explorer and surveyor in Otago. Also a prolific artist Thomson’s paintings and maps are displayed in the Central Otago cellar door.