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.

Our premium wine

The Christchurch | South Island wine regions share temperate maritime climates with coastal breezes, vibrantly warm and bright days and cool clear nights. Marlborough hosts the highest sunshine hours in the country and is principally frost free, while Canterbury and Central Otago experience cooler growing conditions. These distinctive contrasts are expressed from year to year in the style and exceptional quality of our premium South Island wines.

  • Nelson
    Twenty-four boutique wineries craft exquisite wines throughout the Nelson region. Many wineries are small and even the biggest operations are family-owned. The softly rolling Moutere Hills are formed from the weathered gravels of an ancient river system, which originally reached from St Arnaud to the coast. With stony soils of alluvial origin, high sunshine hours and a moderate maritime influence, the Waimea Plains provide a great terroir.

    Nelson winemakers excel in grape varieties that respond to cooler growing conditions. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Pinot Noir account for over eighty percent of the region's vineyard area.
  • Marlborough
    Marlborough is recognised as one of the premium wine regions of the world. New Zealand's leading wine region, it represents 68 percent of the total national production. Located in the north-east corner of the South Island, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the east and towering mountain ranges in the hinterlands to the north and south, Marlborough has a diverse landscape of spectacular natural beauty.

    Sauvignon Blanc may be the star but Marlborough has also earned an enviable reputation for Méthode Traditionelle sparkling wines, as well as a wide range of both white and red table wines.
  • Waipara Valley
    Waipara Valley is an hour's drive north of Christchurch and is currently New Zealand's fastest growing wine region. It is snuggled in the lee of the Teviotdale hills and enjoys long, dry summers, abundant sunshine and relatively cool growing conditions.

    The region is noted for its Pinot Noir and Rieslings, with an additional mention for its Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Merlot and small planting of Syrah. The Waipara Valley is involved with Lincoln University in the "Greening of Waipara" a biodiversity programme to manage the vineyards and its environs.
  • Canterbury
    The Canterbury Plains that surround the South Island's largest city, Christchurch, is where grapes were first planted in the late 1970s.

    The Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Rieslings are stand out wines being produced in this region.
  • Christchurch
    Christchurch, known as "the Garden City", provides the international entry-point for the South Island and is an ideal holiday destination in itself. This vibrant, picturesque city offers easy access to the country's best wine growing regions and is accessible to the rest of the world via Christchurch International Airport.

    The largest city in the South Island, Christchurch is a focal point for fine food and wine with restaurant menus that reflect the abundant growing conditions that leads to rich local produce. New Zealand's "Garden City" is the perfect place to unwind and begin your wine odyssey.
  • Central Otago
    Central Otago is New Zealand's highest and the world's most southern wine region. It also has New Zealand's only true continental climate with greater extremes of daily and seasonal temperatures than any of the country's other regions.

    The region is famous for its Pinot Noir and gaining acclaim for its aromatic varietals such as Riesling and Pinot Gris. The wines have a purity, intensity and vibrancy that seems totally appropriate to anyone who has visited the region and breathed the pure mountain air.