Cool Climate Wine
NZDH Cool Climate Wine chapter
At latitude 45 degrees south, Central Otago is the southernmost commercial wine region
in the world. Its vineyards huddle beneath the jagged schist rock mountains of the
Southern Alps, well protected from coastal winds. At around 300 metres above sea
level – with many vineyards clinging to the sides of steep river gorges – it’s also
New Zealand’s highest winegrowing area.
Hot, dry summers and crisp snowy winters provide a climate similar to other great
wine regions around the world including Burgundy, Alsace and the Willamette Valley
in Oregon. Relatively low annual rainfall reduces the need for spraying and there
is a low incidence of fungal disease.
The hot, dry summer days teamed with cool temperatures at night allow the grapes
to ripen slowly and give the wines an intense, pure flavour, while the soil structure,
which differs considerably from other grape-growing regions in NZ, is heavy with
mineral deposits of mica and schist in a silt loam and provides excellent drainage.
All in all, despite the occasional frost, perfect conditions are provided for the
creation of high quality Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Riesling.
Central Otago’s first wines were produced in the 19th century when miners were lured
here by the gleam of gold. The first Mayor of Clyde, Jean Desire Feraud, won awards
for his wines in Australia in the 1880s, and the gold miners themselves planted
many grapevines. However, despite the region being acknowledged as having suitable
wine growing potential, the early wine industry did not survive. It wasn’t until
the late 1970s and early 1980s that there was a revival in grapes with the planting
of the Rippon Vineyard in Wanaka, Gibbston Valley Wines in Queenstown and Black
Ridge in Alexandra.
For the visitor today, Central Otago’s golden tussock hills, dramatic river gorges,
wide plains, turquoise lakes, rocky schist tors, and jagged mountain scenery make
it a most memorable wine trail destination.
There are four sub-regions within Central Otago to visit: Gibbston Valley, Cromwell/Bannockburn,
Wanaka and Alexandra. Wine connoisseurs can look forward to several days of touring
the countryside.
The Gibbston Valley offers wines as dramatic as the landscape itself, and there’s
an opportunity to sample wine in the candlelit ambience of a deep schist cave-turned-wine-cellar
at Gibbston Valley Wines. This vineyard also offers gorgeous vineyard dining, and
a menu that reflects the lifestyle of the region through dishes such as vine-smoked
venison, saddle of rabbit and poached rump of lamb. Tours are held on the hour and
visitors are shown through the vineyard and winery, finishing with a wine tasting
in NZ’s largest underground wine cave. Although the vineyard’s focus is on Pinot
Noir (its 2000 Reserve Pinot Noir won the 2001 International Wine Challenge in London),
newer projects such as the on-site cheesery have also proved popular and complement
wine-tasting trays.
The Cromwell/Bannockburn wine trail passes through stunning mountain scenery with
vineyards planted on the banks of the dramatic Kawarau River Gorge and sparkling
turquoise waters of Lake Dunstan. Vineyards such as Mt Difficulty (one of the region’s
high profile labels) and Carrick Vineyard, which offers views splendid views of
the rugged mountains of the Carrick Range, provide the opportunity to dine, while
others such as Olssens encourage visitors to picnic amongst their vines.
The Wanaka wine trail provides a boutique winery experience at vineyards including
Rippon Vineyard on the edge of picturesque Lake Wanaka, as well known for its stunning
location and vineyard scenery as it is for its Pinot Noir, the region’s most commonly
grown varietal. This intrepid vineyard produced the region’s first sparkling wine
and first botryised Riesling and also produces Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer,
Osteiner, Gamay Rose, Hotere White and a Merlot Syrah blend.
The Clyde/Alexander wine trail features some ten wineries, plus a fascinating look
into the region’s gold mining heritage. The dry, rocky soil that used to be mined
for precious metal now yields a liquid gold harvest at vineyards such as Black Ridge,
established by Sue Edwards and Verdun Burgess in 1981 and the most southern vineyard
and winery in the world. Black Ridge offers a blended wine, Earnscleugh Rise, which
makes popular summer time drinking, but the extreme temperatures experienced in
Alexandra provide an ideal climate for growing and ripening classic wine varietals
including Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.