VARIETALS
Waitaki Valley produces a range of distinctive cool-climate wines, differing in style from both Central Otago & Waipara. Notable varietals include Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Riesling & Gewürtztraminer, with a small quantity of Arneis Aromatic white grape from Piedmont, Northern Italy (ar-NAYS).
LOCATION
Waitaki Valley, first planted in 2001, is probably NZ's last undeveloped premium wine region. Based around the Waitaki & Hakataramea rivers
, the vineyards are small & intensively managed - most are within 20km of Kurow, 2hrs drive north of Central Otago & 4hrs south of Waipara.
TERROIR
Distinctly cool-climate, with warm summers & long (usually dry) autumns, though frosts, unseasonal rain & strong winds can be challenging. Complex geology of limestone, alluvial greywacke & schist are found in close proximity, overlaid with loess-based soils.
Riesling - a matter of taste
Jancis Robinson MW: "Riesling has its own very distinctive character- typically apple, lemon/lime & mineral, changing significantly, as it ages, to waxy, kerosene, biscuit & honey characters - few wines make such a dramatic transition as they mature, which varies immensely & excitingly according to exactly where it is grown - it is exceptionally good at expressing terroir"
Riesling Challenge involves a group of respected winemakers, all making wine from the same grapes, sourced from one block in a single vineyard in Waipara, highlighting the nature of the winemaker's influence on the final product - a counterpoint to the phrase "great wines are created in the vineyard"
Riesling taste profile: Due to the diverse range of styles involved, Riesling Challenge wine is graded using the International Riesling Foundation (IRF) scale for sweetness
Paul White: "What is clear is that there are no fixed stylistic formulae anywhere in NZ as yet & far from being a bad thing NZ is blessed in having the potential to produce a broad range of Riesling styles"
