New Zealand's most exciting wine region, for me, is the Waipara. Only 40 minutes drive north of Christchurch and you are in a very dynamic region where Pinot Noir dominates. The earthy tones and very pretty red fruit place it between Central Otago and Martinborough in style but, most of the wines I have tried, seem to have a sense of place.
There are roughly 80 vineyards and 1500+ Hectares of land under vines in the region. The soil types include; gravely deposits on flats and terraces in the central and west of the valley, limestone and clay on hillsides and valley floor to the eastern side and gravely loams over alluvial subsoil in the southern part of the region. The north facing gentle sloping terrain makes it an ideal sun trap for fruiting vines.
This spectrum of soil not only enable first rate Pinot Noir but also are suited to Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Gris. The climate is diverse enough throughout the region to appeal to all of these varietals. Most of the wines sing of their origins and display great varietal typicity, like good Burgundy we are now moving to an era where we have definitive regional styles, and this style is good for me.
Here are a few of the wineries that I think are worth a mention.
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