The Waipara
Valley is in North Canterbury in the south island of
New Zealand
, 40 minutes drive north of Christchurch International
airport and Christchurch City. Whereas New Zealand
is mostly known for
excellent Sauvignion Blanc
, Waipara
also produces premium Chardonnay
,
Pinot Noir
, Pinot Gris
, and Riesling
.
Its latitude equates to that of the south of France in the northern hemisphere.
On the east side of the valley lie the Omihi Hills that protect Waipara
from the cooling winds of the Pacific Ocean. To the west lie the Southern
Alps from whence the regions famous hot norwest winds derive. Its
sheltered position, but proximity to the sea, give it warm days, cool
nights and a dry autumn, resulting in a very prolonged ripening period.
This promotes intense flavor development and optimal ripeness, while
retaining good natural acidity.
Soils in the region range from silt to stony alluvial soils close to the
Waipara
River to chalky clay loams that are often rich in limestone on the
hillsides. Due to Canterburys slightly cooler climate and clay soils,
the grapes
grown here are likely to have more primary fruit characters than
Marlborough, 3.5 hours to the north.
Canterbury
/Waipara
is New Zealands
fourth largest wine region.
Grapes
were first planted in Waipara
30 years ago; in the last 10 years
interest in the area has exploded and many large, new vineyards
are being
established.
Pinot Noir
and Riesling
are the most widely planted varieties in Waipara
,
totaling about 60%. Chardonnay
, Sauvignon Blanc
and Pinot Gris
are also
important varieties in the region.
The fascinating diversity of local terroir
, sites and producers is the
greatest strength of the Waipara
Valley and the key to the characterful
wines
produced here. Then there is the proximity to top tourism attractions -
thermal hot spring resort Hanmer Springs and the seaside town of Kaikoura,
famous for whale watching, are both within two hours drive. Each
year the regions producers come together in March for the Waipara
Wine
and Food Festival held in the historic Glenmark Domain.