VARIETALS
More than 75% of Central Otago vineyards are planted in Pinot Noir - other varieties include Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris & Gewürztraminer. Sparkling wine is being produced using Pinot Noir & Chardonnay.
SUB-REGIONS
Gibbston - coolest & highest of the sub-regions. Wanaka - smallest & most northern. Cromwell Basin contains the largest area of plantings, centred on Lowburn & Pisa. Bannockburn, with extremely low rainfall, is known as 'Heart of the Desert'. Bendigo is located on a warm north-facing ridge while Alexandra has the hottest Summer temperatures. (overview)
SOILS
Soils were formed over successive Ice Ages as glaciers ground schist rocks to dust. Loess is interspersed with river gravels & sand, making soils free-draining even where heavy in texture. With low rainfall leaching is minimal & irrigation is used to keep vines at levels of controlled stress. As natural organic matter is limited, soils are low in vigour yet high in mineral
richness.
Continental Climate of Central Otago
- region of extremes -
With NZ's only continental climate, Central Otago is one of the hottest, coldest & also driest of the wine regions, due to its lack of moderating coastal influences
Bob Campbell MW: "Central Otago is the world's most southerly wine producing region and is likely to remain that way unless someone in Chile figures out how to grow grapevines in permafrost"
Rainfall: Areas such as Bannockburn can receive as little as 320mm annually, due to the Southern Alps rainshadow. Semi-arid with low humidity, most rainfall occurs during spring & summer
Temperature: Large diurnal ranges are common, such as 30°C daytime dropping to 3°C overnight. Alexandra Basin has recorded highs of 37°C, with a nearby area recording NZ's lowest winter temperature of -21°C
Wind: Icy spring Katabatic winds come off the snow, while in summer dry Föhn winds are created by the rainshadow - both can be damaging. Yet areas such as Alexandra are totally sheltered, accentuating summer heat
Alan Brady (Mount Edward): "It's a story of struggling against the odds & all the sceptics who said you can't grow grapes in Central Otago"
St Laurent Grape Project - 2001
Judge Rock: It can do nearly all the things fine Pinot Noir does but with added bottom notes of sagey wildness
A virus-free St LaurentPinot Noir hybrid, originally from France clone was imported into NZ in 2001 on behalf of Central Otago Winegrowers with the aim of establishing a viable high-quality alternative to Pinot Noir in the region. The Project's goal is to prove the suitability of St Laurent's early ripening in local conditions & to compare it with Pinot Noir grown on similar sites. St Laurent grows successfully in areas similar to Central Otago (in Austria, Canada & the Czech Republic), ripening 10 days earlier than Pinot Noir, allowing it to reach full maturity in cooler years. It can be susceptible to millerandage & coulure.
Julia Sevenich: St Laurent is capable of uniting the power & spice of the Rhone with the elegance & delicacy of Burgundy
Now being grown outside of Central Otago - Forrest Estate
in Marlborough, for example.
