Canterbury consists of two major wine areas; the plains around the city of Christchurch (a key city in the South Island), where grapes were first planted in the late 1970s, and the more recently developed valley area of Waipara, an hour's drive north of Christchurch.
Long, dry summers, abundant sunshine and relatively cool growing conditions are a feature in both Canterbury and Waipara although Waipara, which is sheltered from the coast by a low range of hills, can be significantly warmer.
Our focus has largely been in the Waipara area, where the chalky loams are often rich in limestone and impart wonderful characters in our Riesling. The combination of soils and climate give the wine a unique lime/lemonade character that is very intense with a long finish.
