The first commercial release of a pinot noir from Central Otago was as recent as 1987 and, since then, the region has gained a reputation for producing some of the New World’s finest pinot noir.

Called simply “Central” locally, this is New Zealand’s — and the world’s — southernmost wine region. Although it is only the fourth-largest of the country’s regions in tonnes produced, the area under vines has grown more than five-fold in the past 10 years, and more sites are being developed, some at higher altitudes.

Central Otago, NZ Climate

This is a rugged region of broken hills, mountains and lakes, virtually surrounded by the Southern Alps, a snow-peaked mountain range that runs the length of the South Island. Central Otago is dry, with a semi-continental climate that delivers hot summers (over 30°C) and cold, dry winters. These conditions, and minimal risk of disease in the glacial soils, lend themselves to organic farming, and many producers have gone or are going that way. The vineyards — which, in some places, share the slopes with merino sheep — are scattered through the region’s valleys, in several informal sub-regions.

Central Otago Winemaking

Pinot noir is king here, and the variety accounts for more than three-quarters of all vines. The next two in terms of importance, pinot gris and chardonnay, make up only about 10 percent. Although pinot noir is widely grown in New Zealand (notably in Marlborough and Martinborough), Central Otago has quickly become recognized for producing intensely flavoured, vibrant styles.

This is one of New Zealand’s more isolated wine-producing regions, but it has a well-developed wine tourism industry, thanks to its proximity to Queenstown, a popular international resort and ski centre. Central Otago has many sites relating to its 19th-century gold-mining history and is also home to New Zealand’s only celebrity winery: Two Paddocks, owned by actor Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, Hunt for Red October, The Tudors).

Central Otago Facts and Figures

Latitude of Central Otago

45º South

Size of Vineyards in Central Otago

1,560 hectares of vineyard

Wine Styles in Central Otago

Pinot noir, pinot gris, chardonnay

Climate in Central Otago

Semi-continental, Glacial soil

Three Top Wine Producers in Central Otago

Chard Farm, Mt. Difficulty Wines, Carrick Wines

Central Otago's Top Vintages

2002, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2010

Wine Production in Central Otago

6,196 tonnes of grapes produced in 2010

How to get to Central Otago

Both Qantas and Air New Zealand have regular flights from Vancouver (YVR) and Toronto (YYZ) to Christchurch, on New Zealand’s South Island. From Christchurch, you can choose a six-hour drive or a one-hour flight to Queenstown, in the Central Otago region.

nzwine.com, centralotagopinot.co.nz

New Zealand is a small producer that punches well above its weight in terms of its international profile. It’s best known for sauvignon blanc (particularly from the Marlborough region), which burst onto international markets in the 1990s. Sauvignon blanc still sells strongly and accounts for three-quarters of the country’s wine exports. Although Marlborough “savvy” continues to be the main thrust of production and exports, other regions and grape varieties are making steady progress. 

New Zealand pinot noir has gained a lot of attention, especially pinot from Central Otago, the world’s most-southerly wine region, and from Martinborough, in the North Island. Merlot is an up-and-coming variety in the Hawke’s Bay region on the east coast of the North Island (especially in the Gimblett Gravels sub-region), while Gisborne, a little further north, is developing a reputation for chardonnay and pinot grigio. Bordeaux-style reds are produced around Auckland, especially on Waiheke Island.

As this suggests, New Zealand’s wineries are sorting out regions and grape varieties. Although most regions are climatically varied enough to support a range of varieties, there’s now a stress on regionality. This is the main direction of change, shown by the delineation of various sub-regions within Marlborough.

The New Zealand wine industry is stressing sustainable practices more than most. It has to counter the "buy local" argument that shipping wine around the world has an adverse environmental impact. Drawing on New Zealand’s image as a clean, green country, the industry stresses that sustainable and low-impact practices in the vineyard and winery can outweigh the effects of long-distance transportation.

Prominent Wine Regions in New Zealand

Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay, Central Otago.

Varietals/Styles on the Rise in New Zealand

Pinot noir, merlot, pinot grigio.

Classic Wine Producers in New Zealand

Cloudy Bay: A Marlborough winery that produced New Zealand’s first international sauvignon star and continues to make notable wines, especially the oak-aged sauvignon, Te Koko.

Brancott Estate (formerly Montana): New Zealand’s largest wine company has vineyards in several regions and produces wines at all tiers, from entry level to single-vineyard.

Matua Valley: Based north of Auckland, it was the first to plant sauvignon blanc in New Zealand and now makes high-quality wines from grapes grown in several regions.

Up-and-Coming Wine Producers in New Zealand

Seresin: This Marlborough winery is making waves with its stylish and complex sauvignons.

Craggy Range: Located in Hawke’s Bay, this winery is gaining a reputation for its Bordeaux blends and syrahs.

Mt. Difficulty: An impressive Central Otago winery that’s producing fine single-vineyard pinot noir.

Check out more than 400 reviews of wines from New Zealand.

Hooray for New Zealand! As Argentina continues to be weighed down by malbec, and Australia drowns in budget shiraz, New Zealand has avoided being pigeonholed as simply sauvignon blanc country and flourishes as a well-rounded player in today’s market. Judges were excited to see which Central Otago pinot noir would show best, and were quite pleased having pinot gris, riesling and syrah all standing shoulder to shoulder in quality. Adding some great regional variety into the mix has us extending our glasses for more. (Kurtis Kolt)

90 Jackson Estate 2009 Stich Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand $20-$22

90 Spy Valley 2009 Pinot Gris, Wairau Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand $20-$26

89 Rabbit Ranch 2007 Pinot Noir, Central Otago, South Island, New Zealand $25-$27

89 Giesen 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand $16-$18

89 Spy Valley 2009 Pinot Noir, Wairau Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand $22-$32

89 Sileni Estates 2009 Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand $16-$22

88 Babich 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand $19-$22

88 Ngatarawa 2007 Silks Syrah, Hawke’s Bay, North Island, New Zealand $23-$27

88 C J Pask 2007 Gimblett Road Syrah, Hawke’s Bay, North Island, New Zealand $18-$20

88 Mount Riley 2009 Pinot Noir, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand $22-$25

88 Spy Valley 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Wairau Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand $19-$23

88 Wither Hills 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Wairau Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand $18-$22

88 Yealands Estate 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand $17-$23

88 Sileni Estates 2009 Cellar Selection Pinot Noir, Hawke’s Bay, North Island, New Zealand $15-$23

88 Spy Valley 2009 Riesling, Wairau Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand $18-$23

More results from the Wine Access 2010 International Value Wine Awards