Punting on the Avon, Christchurch - Courtesy of Christchurch Canterbury Tourism.
Punting on the Avon, Christchurch - Courtesy of Christchurch Canterbury Tourism.
Top of a Vineyard, Kaikoura - Courtesy of Kaikoura District Council.
Vineyard, Central Otago - Courtesy of Central Otago Pinot Noir Limited.
Aoraki - Mt Cook, Canterbury - Courtesy of Christchurch Canterbury Tourism.
Couple in Vineyard, Nelson - Courtesy of Nelson Wine Art.
Vineyard in Autumn, Marlborough - Courtesy of Destination Marlborough.

CHRISTCHURCH | SOUTH ISLAND – GREAT WINE CAPITAL

The South Island of New Zealand has long been famed for its stunning, unspoiled and varied landscapes – native forests, snow-capped mountains and kilometres of lush greenery that sweeps to the edges of a spectacular coastline.

With our small population, isolated location and agricultural economy – we have earned our clean, green image, with visitors often describing the South Island as "an unspoiled paradise".

Equal to the international acclaim for our country's beauty is that for our fine wines. With wine-growing regions spanning the latitudes 41.5 to 45 degrees South and covering the length of 800 kilometres, we host one of the wine world's most picturesque and productive wine settings.

Five renowned wine regions make up the Christchurch | South Island Great Wine Capital, including: Canterbury, Central Otago, Marlborough, Nelson and Waipara Valley.

The regions host spectacularly different – yet equally beautiful – landscapes, with varying weather patterns and vineyard styles. New Zealand is a tight-knit country, which is evident in the relationship between these five wine regions – all strongly interconnected through history, culture and economics.