Central Otago, near the bottom of New Zealand's South Island, vies for the title of world's most southerly wine region. Vineyards cling to the sides of mountains and high above river gorges in this dramatic landscape. Pinot Noir has proven itself in this challenging Terroir, and takes up nearly three-quarters of the region's vineyard area. The typical Central Otago Pinot Noir is intense and deeply colored, with flavors of doris plum, Sweet spice and bramble.
Two Paddocks, owned by actor Sam Neill, had thought the Last Chance vineyard was the world's most southerly (at 45°15'). But several major Patagonian projects are underway at around 45 to 46°, and Argentina can currently claim the honor for Alejandro Bulgheroni's new vineyard at Sarmiento (45°60').
The viticultural zone covers the mountainous area around the tourist resort town of Queenstown on the eastern side of the Southern Alps. The exact boundaries and sub-regional divisions are not official, but a geographic indication is in the pipeline.
Wineries are scattered around several distinct sub-regions: Gibbston, Alexandra, Wanaka and the Cromwell Basin, itself home to Bendigo, Bannockburn and Lowburn. Lakes Dunstan, Wakatipu and Wanaka all contribute to the terroir as well, along with the Kawarau and Clutha Rivers.
Gold brought the first settlers to the region in the 1860s, and most of the towns in this Part of Otago have a Rich gold-mining history. The first vines were planted during this time by a French migrant but, unlike in the Sierra Foothills region of California where the European settlers provided a steady demand for wines, the tough, transient Otago miners had no interest in drinking wine, preferring beer and spirits.
Pinot Gris is a grey grape variety mutated from Pinot Noir. It has its origins in Burgundy, where it is called pinot-beurot in reference to the colour of the grey robes worn by the monks of the region. Established in Alsace since the 17th century, pinot gris was called tokay until 2007. It is made up of bunches of small berries that vary in colour from pink to blue-grey. It is particularly well suited to the continental climate because it is resistant to the cold in winter and to spring frosts. This variety also likes dry limestone soils with plenty of sunshine in the summer. Pinot Gris is well suited to late harvesting or to the selection of noble grapes, depending on the year and the concentration of sugars in the berries. Pinot Gris wines are distinguished by their aromatic complexity of white fruits, mushrooms, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, etc., and their great finesse. In the Loire Valley, pinot gris is used in the Coteaux-d'Ancenis appellations. It gives dry or sweet wines with pear and peach aromas.
white wines from the region of South Island go well with generally quite well with dishes of shellfish, vegetarian or goat cheese such as recipes of cassolettes of scallops, quiche lorraine or spinach and goat cheese cake.
On the nose in the region of South Island often reveals types of flavors of pineapple, bell pepper or game and sometimes also flavors of mint, red currant or cassis. In the mouth in the region of South Island is a with a nice freshness.
R&B Distillers, operator of the Isle of Raasay Distillery, plans to open The Machrihanish Distillery at Dhurrie Farm, Machrihanish, as a ‘farm-to-bottle’ single malt distillery, along with a visitor centre and whisky club. The company aims to make Machrihanish a sustainable, net-zero distillery that uses no fossil fuels in its production, as well as using biological farming practices to create greater biodiversity on the adjacent farmland. Plans are expected to be finalised during 2022, with ...
Taking place over a month, between the 11 December and the 10 January, the unique Decanter at Home online event provides the perfect opportunity to sample a range of fine wines and access a series of curated videos from leading winemakers and experts at a time that suits you. A limited number of tickets are available for six world-class wine tasting masterclasses, including Bordeaux’s Château Angelus and Burgundy’s Bonneau du Martray, as well as general non-tasting tickets unlocking ...
‘Thanks to our incredibly generous wineries, donors, and sponsors, the AWW can continue its mission to uplift the Washington wine industry and grow its efforts to support healthy communities and healthy land in Washington state’, said Jamie Peha, executive director of the Auction of Washington Wines. ‘Together with our philanthropic partners, Seattle Children’s, WSU Viticulture & Enology Research, and Industry Grant Partner Vital Wines, we ensure that our charitable efforts ...
