The early morning start of about 6am came after many of the valley's wine growers and viticulturists had been enjoying a night of celebration after the annual Gibbston Harvest Festival, organiser Tim Morrison-Deaker said.
About 1800 people turned up to enjoy a sunny day at the festival on Saturday and taste food and new-release wines from Gibbston.
Yesterday's 2degC frost was early, with the first frost not usually arriving until the start of April, Mr Morrison-Deaker said.
However, while the wind machines averted any potential damage to this year's Gibbston crop, the season was running late after an early frost in February put it two weeks behind, he said.
Despite this, many of the wine growers were "pretty stoked" with the development of Gibbston grapes this year and were relaxing at the festival.
It was the last "hoo-ha" before the grape harvest began for many of the region's wine makers, he said.
Among them was wine grower Domenic Mondillo of Mondillo and Gibbston Valley Wines, who predicted the Gibbston harvest would be up to a couple of weeks late this year.
Grant Taylor of Gibbston's Valli Vineyard predicted a good crop from the Gibbston but expected to be harvesting his Gibbston Pinot Noir on target towards the end of April.
About 1800 people attended Saturday's festival, held for the first time next to The Winehouse and Kitchen, beside the Kawarau Bridge.
