| Central Otago | |
| Year: | 2018 |
| Country: | New Zealand |
| Sub Regions: | Bannockburn, Bendigo, Wānaka, Gibbston Valley, Cromwell, Alexandra |
| Wineries: | 133 |
| Comments: | Data source: New Zealand Winegrowers, 2020[1] [2] |
The Central Otago wine region is a geographical indication in New Zealand's South Island, and the world's southernmost commercial wine growing region.[3] While Central Otago is best known for Pinot Noir, many white wine varieties are also popular.[4]
Significant European occupation in this region started with the Otago gold rush in the 1860s. French immigrant gold miner Jean Desire Feraud soon started planting vines and embarking upon small-scale commercial wine production, even winning medals in Australian wine competitions. Late in the nineteenth century, the New Zealand government hired Romeo Bragato to survey the country. While this early experimentation showed the wine-growing potential of the region, the wine industry did not survive for long on a commercial basis.
From the 1950s through to the late 1970s, there were many small-scale trial plantings of vines by private individuals and under the auspices of the New Zealand Department of Agriculture. By 1980 enough experience and confidence had been gained for commercial plantings to start.
Vineyard planting and production remained modest until the middle of the 1990s when the industry began to expand rapidly. In 1996 there were just 11 wineries in the Central Otago region, according to New Zealand Winegrowers, accounting for 4.6% of the national total. By 2020 this had risen to 133 wineries and 18.5%. Over the same period, the area planted with vines rose from 92 to 1,930 hectares, a more-than twentyfold increase. Reflecting this rapid expansion, the long lead-time for planting to come into production, and the focus in Central Otago on quality wines rather than bulk wines, actual wine production accounted for only 0.5% (376 tonnes) of the New Zealand total in 1996, increasing to 3.0% (11,868 tonnes) in 2019.
At around 300m (1,000feet) elevation, Central Otago's vineyards are protected from New Zealand's characteristic maritime climate by high mountains up to 3700m (12,100feet) high. They thus have the only true continental climate zone in the country, with large daily and seasonal temperature extremes. Rainfall averages around NaNmm: summer is hot and relatively dry, and often accompanied by the Nor'wester foehn wind; autumn is short, cool and sunny; and winter is cold, with substantial falls of snow. Heavy frosts are common throughout winter and, indeed, frost can occur at any time between March and November. One of Central Otago's warmest wine growing areas can be found just north of the Lowburn Inlet area.
The climatic contrast between Central Otago and the more humid, warmer wine regions of the North Island can be illustrated by the difference in the timing of the grape harvest. In the more northerly vineyards, picking generally takes place in late February or early March, while in Central Otago the harvest begins in mid to late April - a difference of some six to seven weeks.
The structure of the soil also differs considerably from other wine growing regions of the country, with heavy deposits of rough-edged mica and other metamorphic schists in silt loams. This soil drains easily, and given that most vineyards are positioned on hillside slopes, artificial irrigation is generally essential.
Pinot noir is the leading grape variety in Central Otago, estimated to account for some 70% of plantings.The other 30% of production comes from Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, Riesling, Pinot gris, and Gewürztraminer.Sparkling wine is made in the traditional style from Pinot noir and Chardonnay grapes.
The Central Otago wine region is broken into multiple sub-regions, each with its own climate and characteristics.