Wines from Central Otago

Central Otago: New Zealand's most Southernly wine region

Central Otago is a wine region as dramatic as the wines it produces. This spectacular landscape of soaring snow-capped mountains and glittering blue rivers, historically the heart of a 19th-century gold rush, is now home to some of the world's finest Pinot Noir—and a growing array of impressive, vivid white wines.

Central Otago: A Pioneering Spirit

Central Otago holds the title of one of the world’s southernmost wine regions and the country’s highest. The area was historically noted as 'pre-eminently suitable' for winemaking (Bragato, 1895). Indeed, the region's first recorded Gold Medal was for 'Burgundy' in Sydney in 1881, from vines planted in 1864 by Frenchman Jean Feraud.

While stone fruit orchards prevailed for many years, renewed interest in the 1950s and significant commitment by pioneers in the 1970s—names like Chard Farm, Rippon, Black Ridge, and Gibbston Valley—laid the foundation for the region we know today. Grapes now dominate the landscape, rewarding careful site selection with wines of great intensity and finesse.

The Terroir: A Study in Extremes

This is a land of extremes, defined by a semi-continental climate.

• Climate: Frosts are an accepted and planned-for hazard, yet the marked diurnal variation (warm days, cool nights), high sunshine hours, and short, hot summers provide an eloquent environment for vines. This combination coaxes both amazing purity and complexity from the grapes. Dry autumns and overall low humidity are significant natural assets.
• Geology: A region shaped by glaciers, lakes, and powerful rivers, the subsoils are incredibly diverse, comprising broken schist, clay, silt loams, gravels, windblown sands, and loess. The common thread across the various subregions is excellent water drainage, with stony subsoils and schist or greywacke bedrock.

Subregional Distinction

While the main subregions are geographically close, the distinctive mountainous terrain means each occupies a unique niche of climate, aspect, and altitude. This increasing focus on subregional expression—from the warmer, lower-lying sites to the high-altitude pockets—is driving the next wave of innovation in Central Otago.

Central Otago is comprised of six distinct subregions, each with its own unique microclimate, aspect, and altitude, which is reflected in the resulting wines.

• Gibbston: Closest to Queenstown, nestled in the Kawarau Gorge. It is the coolest and highest subregion.

• Bannockburn: South of Cromwell. Often cited as the warmest and driest site, once called the "Heart of the Desert."

• Cromwell Basin including Cromwell, Lowburn and Pisa: A large, central area surrounding Lake Dunstan. Generally warm with a high concentration of plantings on lower terraces.

• Bendigo: East of Lake Dunstan. One of the warmest and sunniest areas, with vineyards on steep, north-facing slopes.

• Alexandra: The southernmost subregion. It has an extreme continental climate, recording some of the hottest summer temperatures in New Zealand.

• Wanaka: Near Lake Wānaka. Cooler and slightly wetter than the central areas. The lake moderates temperatures and mitigates frost risk.

Explore our curated selection and discover the dramatic elegance of Central Otago Pinot Noir and more.