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Winegrowing in Central Otago

Wooing Tree Vineyard

Central Otago is the highest and Southern most wine region in New Zealand. It is the seventh largest and also the newest region for grape growing, yet has already carved an enviable reputation for outstanding quality wines. Pinot Noir is particularly popular and also the most extensively used grape variety in the area. With soil composition consisting mainly of schist and silt loam, this low-fertile ground has proved immensely successful for Pinot Noir, with Chardonnay close behind and lastly Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. This regions short hot summer days and cool crisp nights flavour the grapes which produce distinct flavours and intensity There are four individual wine districts within Central Otago. The largest, Cromwell/Bannockburn/Lowburn Bendigo is approximately 40 mins drive from Queenstown. There is Gibbston Valley, a quick 20min drive from Queenstown, Alexandra, around one hour from Queenstown and lastly Wanaka, known for its sheer beauty and stunning scenery one hour from Queenstown. Central Otago, with it's continental climate and altitude are producing wines with good flavour, distinction, depth and structure that is unique from other New Zealand regions.

Central Otago Wineries

Winery of the Month

Chard Farm

About Chard Farm

Chard Farm was established in 1987 by Motueka brothers Rob & Greg Hay. They were the first to come into the area with the intention of setting up a commercial vineyard and selected the Chard Farm site after careful evaluation of the peculiarities of grape growing in Central Otago. Rob studied winemaking in Germany for three years in the early eighties before returning to New Zealand in 1985 to search for the "terroir" that best emulated the cool continental climate and soils of some of the greatest wine producing areas of the world -- most notably the Burgundy and Alsace regions of France. That search lead to Central Otago. The long term goal being to craft the finest classic cool climate varietal wines of Pinot Noir, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay.

The winemaking team is led by Rob with John Wallace as Winemaker and Duncan Gibson as Assistant Winemaker

Featured Wineries

Amisfield Wine Company
Amisfield is a small specialist producer of Pinot Noir, aromatic whites and Methode Traditionelle wines, made with grapes sourced from their vineyard near Lake Dunstan. Located 10 minutes drive from Queenstown, the winery at Lake Hayes features a Cellar Door facility and country style Bistro serving a daily changing menu of oragnic and locally sourced produce.

Gibbston Valley Wines Ltd
Gibbston Valley Wines, nestled in the heart of Central Otago offers every wine lover the perfect wine and food experience. Savour the taste of our award-winning wines in the sanctuary of our underground wine cave, then partner them over lunch in our excellent winery restaurant.

Mt Rosa Station & Estate Winery
On a spectacular site on Mt Rosa Station in Gibbston, Jeremy Railton and Guy Boanas have planted a 28-hectare vineyard, and sold two-hectare building sites and a nominal share in the Mt Rosa wine company that owns and manages the vineyard.

Rockburn
Rockburn (previously Hay's Lake) takes its name from the rugged, rock strewn, burn seared landscape of central otago. The region is reknown for its stunning scenery of rugged mountains and picturesqe lakes.