Spanning nearly 200km of the South Island’s eastern coastline, with the magnificent Southern Alps to the west and sweeping Pacific Ocean to the east, vineyards are situated from Waimate in the south to Cheviot in the north. The area also includes the micro-climate of Banks Peninsula and Waipara Valley; Canterbury wine offers a diverse range of styles and producers plus many attractive cellar doors.
Production was first established on the Canterbury Plains near Belfast in 1978 with vineyards to the south-west of Christchurch and Waipara Valley soon following. Waipara Valley is now heavily planted with its wines regularly achieving critical acclaim for their sub-regional expression.
Exploration of new sub-regions both inland from Waipara Valley towards Weka Pass, and southward at Waitaki on the North Otago border forecasts increasing depth, further cementing the region’s overall reputation for elegant, expressive Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and aromatics in particular, though numerous other varieties are planted with good results.
The cool, dry climate with good sunshine and long growing season promote full varietal expression; wines are renowned for their intense flavours, richness and complex fruit.