A one-stop overview of Central Otago vineyards for connoisseurs and tourists on the go has taken the place of two tenancies at Steamer Wharf, in Queenstown.
Big Picture Wine Queenstown boasts an interactive aroma room and wine theatre experience, a regional cellar door retail store and a wine bar.
Hinton Estate, Wild Earth, Drumsara, Tarras Vineyards, IWI and Mudhouse Wines are the wineries represented.
The educational wine tourism venture was launched by Phil and Cath Parker in Cromwell in late 2003.
Licensed franchises took the concept into other wine growing regions - Big Picture Wine Napier promotes Hawkes Bay and a Big Picture Auckland focuses on the greater Auckland region.
Franchises have also opened in the United States and Chile, bringing the total to seven.
Their daughter, Sophie Parker, was project manager of the Queenstown franchise, a partnership between Mr Parker and Kelly and Craig Elstob.
Ms Parker said Queenstown was attractive because it was a tourist hub with significant foot traffic.
Visitors might not have time to visit the surrounding wine-growing region, or even realise it was there, she said.
Big Picture Wine Queenstown was launched with an invitation-only and tongue-in-cheek event on Saturday night, called the Wine Oscars, in honour of the vintners who feature in the profile films produced by Mr Parker.
The first "Woscar" for best performance was presented by guest judge, Shoot New Zealand's Barbara Williams, to Hinton Estate owner Howie Hinton.
Big Picture Wine Queenstown opens for business today and entry costs $30.
