The delights of Otago Central

If there's vanilla in the air, it's summer in Central Otago, where some of the best aromas linger around Cromwell's world-class wineries, says Rosemary McLeod.

The scent of Central Otago in summer is like no place else. You'd know you were there if you went blindfold.

It's the hint of vanilla in dried long grass, blasts of wild hyssop but most of all the thyme you crush underfoot everywhere. Add to that blue, still skies; harshly contoured land blasted by 19th-century gold miners; soaring, solitary hawks; a burst of tree-ripened fresh apricot juice in your mouth and you're ready to tackle the Cromwell region's famous wines.

Left to its own devices this would be tussock country, shades of western movie blonde-and-brown but there are islands of green: dark pine trees, stone fruit orchards and spreading grapevines marching through the paddocks. The tight bunches of small pinot noir grapes, green just now, make this region, based around a town of just 4500 people, famous in the wine world. On the 45th parallel, it's in the same climate zone as Burgundy, a head start.

A good place to start learning about local wines is The Big Picture, on the main road leading to Cromwell. Run by Phil and Cath Parker, its Aroma Room invites visitors to challenge their sense of smell with 52 unlabelled scents from wine experts' vocabulary beetroot, blackcurrant, licorice, mint, strawberry, stewed plums and violets, cigar box, forest floor and bacon. It's not as easy as it sounds to identify them this way, let alone on your palate in a glass of wine.

Next, watch Phil's dramatic film promoting the region's winegrowers while you sample a rack of local wines lined up so you can taste each one as the winemaker tastes it on film, and describes its qualities. After that, have a glass with lunch and plan to take your newly educated palate on a tour.

First, though, drive into old Cromwell, what's left of it, and get your bearings. Most of it was drowned to give you hydroelectric power in the Clutha River scheme. What remains is slowly being restored by keen volunteers and leased to small businesses art and craft galleries, and the marvellous Provisions, selling its own preserves, made only from local produce, and its own baking.

Out front are tumbling old roses and lavender, while enticing smells waft from a kitchen where cooks produce a range of 26 products, all without artificial additives. Try greengage and cinnamon jam, plum and sumac relish, roasted nectarine and cherry chutneys, cherry and vanilla jam traditional recipes with a twist. Jane Shaw and Pauline Murphy, who own Provisions, are keen contributors to the fortnightly Sunday morning Farmer's Market held among these mellow stone buildings.

On the way out of town, Aurum Wines, like other prize-winning wineries hereabouts, is a family business. Joan Lawrence was an archaeologist and husband Tony an orthodontist before they came here in 2002 to chase a dream. Now they have a French daughter-in-law as their winemaker, vines in what were dry paddocks and have been producing their own label wine for the last two years. Visitors may find themselves walking away with some of their olive oil, too.

The 2008 American Wine Report lists Aurum (the Latin word for gold) as one of the top 10 up-and-coming wineries in New Zealand and in her first year as winemaker, daughter-in-law Matilde's riesling was rated in the top 10 by Cuisine magazine.

My homestay, Aoturoa Luxury Villa, is half an hour's drive further along the road, where subdivisions already being mapped out warn that the quiet and wildness are threatened. Right now the land is still marked by wiry rose bushes believed to have been brought here by miners for their rosehips and by dry long grasses whirling in the gentle wind like breaking waves. The road is almost empty.

John and Leslie Davies, at Aoturoa, fit into a familiar category hereabouts; middle-aged and much-travelled, responding to Central's romance. Tonight they cook a meal designed to complement wine made by Warwick and Jenny Hawker, who retired here to their own vineyard, Pisa Range Estate.

They know what they're doing. A scallop bouillabaisse goes perfectly with a 2007 Pisa Range Estate pinot gris; Central Otago venison in pinot vin syrup is great with two vintages of their Black Poplar Block pinot noir, the 2002 and the 2006, showing how well the earlier vintage is ageing and carries over with the local sheep's milk camembert from Hokonui, served with fresh and pickled cherries. Back at their vineyard, the Hawkers have a wall of awards for the wines a familiar sight hereabouts.

Next day, there's another Cromwell marvel to visit, the Briar Dell Nursery and Lavender Farm. It's a long drive down to the open garden that Karen Rhind and Tony Bird have created over the past 14 years, in the grounds of a former nursing home. Its tennis court has become a formal garden, its swimming pool a home for floating waterlilies, and Karen tends this haven, which she designed, pretty much on her own. A blast of perfume hits you as you step through a hedge doorway into her lavender paddock: she makes and sells a range of its products here and runs a small plant nursery specialising in plants that thrive in the local dry conditions.

Mr Difficulty at Bannockburn is one of the oldest vineyards in the region and the perfect spot for lunch, with panoramic views from its restaurant courtyard. Host Michael Herrick enthuses over the future of his pinot gris, too, as he recalls local legendary characters like Roaring Meg, the 19th-century working girl with a respectable pinot noir now named after her.

Yet more prizes have been won at Baldhills, where Blair and Estelle Hunt tease your nose with a great old washstand jug full of roses in their tasting room. Their 2005 pinot noir won half a dozen international trophies in the UK, including a prestigious Decanter magazine award. Not bad for newcomers.

Awards come thick and fast here: the next vineyard is Olssen's, which has also won an impressive collection, local and international. Heather McPherson, formerly chief public health nurse for Otago, has developed a large garden at the winery that hosts some local events and serves as an informal sculpture park with works for sale. She's another winemaker who's keen on local history and its characters; Slapjack Creek and Charcoal Joe feature in Olssen's winery names. Her 2007 pinot noir was judged wine of the year by Australia's Winestate magazine.

Nearer town, in the industrial area, is Rockburn Winery's tasting room. Their 2007 Rockburn Pinot Noir won the Air New Zealand Winemakers Award. Call in, too, at The Wooing Tree Vineyard and Tasting Room to try the rose that won another top award last year. This vineyard is owned by a group of former IT workers, who'd planned to pull down the big pine on their land until they heard of its legend as the place where locals proposed marriage.

Dinner is in the Cromwell shopping mall at Feast, which features as much local produce as possible on the menu the meat all comes from Southland, though fish is flown in fresh from Auckland's markets. Partners Paul Stephenson and Gary Clarke, head chef for Terence Conran in a former life, cater to locals with excellent, unpretentious food, reasonably priced. The chicken liver pate flavoured with thyme is light and delicious, as is the seared baked salmon on carrot "pasta" with mint and coriander, and the swordfish with gremolata, followed by classic French bistro chocolate pots great eating anywhere. Then, as dusk falls, watch the wild rabbits gambolling in the dusk on the town's outskirts.

There is still the luscious stone fruit to enjoy, for which Central Otago is famous. Roadside stalls sell glowing apricots, peaches and nectarines by name, the way they never do in a supermarket. And as for cherries drive to Glenvale Orchards, run by Anne and Robby Jones, Harley Davidson enthusiasts who've run their orchard here for 33 years. You pick your own here, as crisp and sweet as they come.

Robby is famous hereabouts for the many hand-painted signs at his orchard and stall eccentric, curmudgeonly or inspiring. Back home, a plane ride or two later, his cherries glow in an old pottery bowl and quickly vanish. My handbag smells of thyme and I've left sprinkles of aromatic lavender all through the rental car. Nobody should have to apologise for that.

House of Travel's Otago food and wine package includes dinner and one night's accommodation at Aoturoa Luxury Villa, breakfast and a wine tour of Pisa Range Estate from only $459 per person share twin. The menu is complemented by wine matches from Pisa Range Estate vineyard's vignerons who will be dining with you. The following day take a guided tour round Pisa Range Estate, where you'll receive a bottle of their award-winning 2006 Black Poplar Block Pinot Noir. Contact House of Travel on 0800 838 747 or visit www.houseoftravel.co.nz for more information.