Key wine regions 2

Central Otago GI is the most southerly wine-producing region in the world. The vineyards are also the highest in New Zealand, at 200 to 400 metres above sea level. Central Otago is a sheltered inland area with a cold continental climate that is characterised by short, warm and dry summers; short, cool autumns; and crisp, long and cold winters. Central Otago is known for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir but is a marginal climate that can suffer from frost well into the growing season.

Marlborough, a Geographical Indication since 2017, is by far the largest wine district in terms of production and area under vines. In 2016 Marlborough produced 232,000 tonnes from 24,365 hectares (60,210 acres) of predominantly Sauvignon Blanc vines, representing just over three quarters of New Zealand’s entire wine production. Marlborough is well known internationally for Sauvignon Blanc in particular, and its Pinot Noir is also attracting attention.

The Canterbury GI covers wine made anywhere within the Canterbury region of New Zealand, a very large area of some 44,500 square kilometres, although almost all of the region’s vineyards are concentrated in a relatively small area around the city of Christchurch, with only 168 hectares planted outside of the more notable Waipara Valley.

Waipara Valley GI is a sub-region of the larger Canterbury GI, located about 60 kilometres north of Christchurch. The valley floor provides a warm Mediterranean climate ideal for viticulture. To the west, the Southern Alps mountains block the prevailing westerly winds and provide a rain shadow, and to the east, low coastal limestone ridges moderate the cool ocean winds. The first vineyard to be planted in the region was in the 1970’s with the region now making up the bulk of Canterbury’s plantings with a total area under vine of 1,257 hectares, and is now the most well-known Canterbury area for Pinot Noir, of which 340 hectares is planted.