Top 100 wines of South Island - Page 3
Discover the top 100 best wines of South Island as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the wines that are popular of South Island and the best vintages to taste in this region.
Discovering the wine region of South Island
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.
Discover the grape variety: Pinot noir
Pinot noir is an important red grape variety in Burgundy and Champagne, and its reputation is well known! Great wines such as the Domaine de la Romanée Conti elaborate their wines from this famous grape variety, and make it a great variety. When properly vinified, pinot noit produces red wines of great finesse, with a wide range of aromas depending on its advancement (fruit, undergrowth, leather). it is also the only red grape variety authorized in Alsace. Pinot Noir is not easily cultivated beyond our borders, although it has enjoyed some success in Oregon, the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
Food and wine pairing with a wine of South Island
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 mussels with marinara, vegan leek and tofu quiche or 4 seasons pizza my way.
News from the vineyard of South Island
Fine wine prices rise in 2022 amid ‘warning signs’, says Liv-ex
Fine wine prices have outperformed mainstream equities in 2022, notably led by top Burgundy and Champagne brands, said Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade. ‘Fine wine continues to offer relative stability and act as an inflationary hedge,’ said the group, which is considered one of several indicators of market performance. Its benchmark Liv-ex 100 index rose by 7.1% in sterling currency in the first 11 months of 2022, despite dipping in November. The 10 most traded wines by value on Liv-e ...
DOC Sicilia strengthens traceability with government-minted labels
Following the creation of the DOC Sicilia in November 2011, the region has taken a step further in guaranteeing the origin of traceability of DOC Sicilia wines by introducing mandatory government-minted labels on all its bottles. The State label, which is mandatory only for DOCG wines (in Sicily this applies to Cerasuolo di Vittoria only) is an important marker and identifier of the most important Italian DOCs: each label shows a unique alphanumeric code that traces the entire production process ...
Port producer proposes new classification for ‘young harvest’ releases
Albino Jorge Sousa, owner of Port estate Quinta da Boeira, said his proposal for a new classification called ‘Full Body-Young Harvest’ Ports would inject cashflow earlier for Port producers. Jorge Sousa urged the Port sector to ‘wake up’ to meet what he said was growing demand for younger Ports from wine buyers and importers over the past two years. His proposal comes amid wider efforts to help reinvigorate the Port category. This year, Portugal’s Port and Douro Wine Institute, the I ...
Top wines in regions and sub-regions of South Island
The best wines of South Island in other styles
- The best wines natural sweet of South Island in other styles
- The best wines pink of South Island in other styles
- The best wines red of South Island in other styles
- The best wines sparkling of South Island in other styles
- The best wines sweet of South Island in other styles
- The best wines white of South Island in other styles