The Bordeau Wine Lounge at The Rees Hotel Queenstown is dedicated to the enjoyment of fine wines, fine foods and the comfort of good company. Wines from world-renown chateaux of Bordeaux – including Latour, Margaux, Mouton Rothschild, Gruard Larose, Malescot St Exupery and Lynch Bages – nestle with the best wines of Central Otago and New Zealand in the professionally-managed, temperature-controlled wine cellar servicing the Bordeau Wine Lounge. Platters of appetising selections of New Zealand’s finest in-season foods, vegetables, cheeses and condiments, designed specially for The Rees Hotel and freshly prepared by our chef, are presented for your enjoyment. Coffee, prepared to exacting standards, a wide range of fine teas and home baked scones and pastries are constantly available to complete a unique food and wine experience in Bordeau at The Rees Hotel.
The French Connection: In Bordeau we continue the celebration of Central Otago’s culture and heritage – with a strong French twist. It is named for Jules Bordeau – the eccentric old storeman and packer who plodded up and down the Skippers Canyon for over 50 years, providing a lifeline to the goldminers working in its remote reaches. There is a strong French presence in the history of New Zealand’s wine making: – James Busby, the British resident agent and first known winemaker in New Zealand, was trained in Bordeaux. – The Marist Brothers who created our oldest winery, Mission Wines came from France. – The settlers who planted the first vineyards in Akaroa’s French Farm Valley came from the Nantes-Bordeaux Region. – And the first commercial vineyard in Central Otago was established by a French gold prospector Jean Desire Feraud. So, we’ve created Bordeau as a place where guests can taste the best of Central Otago’s pinot noir against the best from the world renowned Chateau of the Bordeaux region.
