Unless you've visited Central Otago, it's hard to describe the sheer beauty of this region. It's the hottest and sunniest in New Zealand and, in winter, one of the harshest. One way to experience the stunning scenery is on one of their bike trails. Don't worry if you're not a Peter Dean superhero cyclist there are electric bikes available. The Otago Central Rail Trail was the first of its kind and the initial trail in the Ngā Haerenga Great Rides of New Zealand network, which now includes 23 great rides!
Having visited wineries across the globe, Central Otago has an unfair advantage with its mountainous, dry, rocky landscapes, spectacular river gorges, tunnels, viaducts, green vineyards and orchards, old stone and mud-brick dwellings, and preserved gold mining settlements. These elements create magical settings for wine tasting.
The area is thriving, with Cromwell being the fastest-growing town in New Zealand. There are plans to build a new airport, as the current Queenstown Airport is limited in size and will soon reach capacity. The new airport, financed by Christchurch Airport, will be built in the Tarras area, 30km north of Cromwell. It will accommodate international flights and up to 3.6 million passengers a year. The owners of Christchurch Airport have been buying land at the proposed site since 2020.
Central Otago has several subregions: Gibbston, Bannockburn, Alexandra, Cromwell & Lowburn, Pisa & Queensberry, Bendigo, and Wanaka. However, wine styles in Central Otago are more about the actual vine sites and the work of the winemakers, especially with regeneration.
Central Otago Pinot Noirs – what’s happened so far?
Interestingly, in numerous discussions and tastings, comparisons are now made not with Burgundy Pinot but with older vintages of Otago Pinot. This shift highlights how vine age and farming practices, whether organic, biodynamic, or regenerative, have evolved their style.
Having said that, however, the Central Otago Burgundy Exchange, which began its life in 2006, has been hugely successful. It helps winemakers in both regions understand better practices and, ultimately, how to produce better Pinot Noir. First participant was Sophie Confuron of Domaine Jean-Jacques Confuron, close friend of Nick Mills of Rippon, who had spent many years immersed in Burgundy life.
Taste-wise, the wines are becoming more refined, balanced, and exhibit greater clarity, restraint, and elegance. Alcohol levels are also down. This doesn't mean that earlier vintages were not as good, it's more a matter of style and how our preferences change in both gastronomy and wine. As we eat lighter food, we seek out lighter wines.
Central white varietals – super exciting
The sheer range and different styles of white wines now being made here was the biggest revelation since my last visit in 2017 – Rieslings from bone dry to glorious Mosel style, Pinot Gris that excels, Pinot Blancs that are so pure and clean, focused Sauvignon Blancs with style and poise (much more Sancerre than cats pee), Chardonnays that are stellar, flinty and luxurious.
A snapshot of a few of many wineries that I visited
Monte Christo Winery (seeking importer, wines available online)
From working for the global E & J Gallo company for nearly 20 years, Nicholas Paris MW is back in his ancestral NZ home where, together with his father and brother, he is restoring the ancient Monte Christo Wineryin Central Otago.
Monte Christo Riesling 2024
Fresh and focused, Alsace style, love the purity, mineral/wet stone and bright focus, class.
Monte Christo Pinot Gris 2024
So good to drink such stellar Pinot Gris, Alsace style, with attitude, mineral, focus and freshness – peaches & tangerine essence. Linear, steely and a perfect summer aperitif.
Monte Christo Chardonnay 2023
Ripe and ravishing with white stone fruit, nectarines and white peaches, will age gracefully,
Pinot Noir Central 2022
This is their introduction wine, a value Pinot that delivers way above its price point. A classic easy drinking but focused wine that balances fruit and umami in perfect balance.
Monte Christo Pinot Noir 2022
Restrained, elegant with a gentle perfume, cocoa, crushed cherries and dark red berries, I love the purity of this, some nice textural depth, hints of spice and gentle floral notes.
Carrick - Enotria&Coe
This estate has been brought back to life by Alison and Tony Cleland, and have expanded this winery to be a must visit for tourists, with a restaurant, outdoor bar and Pizza Hut, cellar door and views that must be the finest in the world for Wine gees. The wines are pretty spectacular too, under the helm of winemaker Rosie Menzies.
Carrick Sauvignon Blanc 2023
Aged in oak barrels, but still has a lively vibrancy, more like a Loire Quincy, with delicate orchard fruit, lively citrus notes with a lovely texture.
Carrick Pinot Gris 2024
Full flavoured but focused, apricots, almonds, apples, quince,with some cake spice, fresh and juicy.
Carrick Pinot Blanc 2024
Quince, pineapple, almond, fresh cut herbs, then flint, oyster shells, this is a precise exceptional wine, love the purity of this wine.
Carrick Bannockburn Riesling 2023
Reminds me of the Felton Road Bannockburn Riesling, lime marmalade, grilled brioche, but my word this wine has such poise and purity, delicious with oysters and chilli.
Carrick Josephine Riesling 2023
Majestic, once in a while a wine just stops you in your tracks, this is a glorious textured pure essence of everything you want from a Riesling,this is Germanic in style, think Egon Muller. Zing and Zang, lime curd, luscious drops of nectar juice, an incredible Riesling enjoy with strong cheeses such as Stinking Bishop or Munster.
Burn Cottage Vineyard – Liberty Wines
A twenty four acre estate on the foothills of the Pisa Mountain Range, owned by the Sauvage family based in Chicago.
Burn Cottage Riesling Gruner Veltliner 2021
Delicate perfumed floral notes, evolves with fresh juicy apricots, there is a minerality to keep it a point, refreshing and moreish
Burn Cottage Moonlight Pinot Noir2022
Clean and precise, delicate refined red cherries with clean flinty notes, focused and linear
Burn Cottage, Burn CottageVineyard Pinot Noir 2017
Exceptional, juicy bright cherries, lamb juices, cardamon, class mix of fruit and savoury that delivers so well, a wine to enjoyed solitary as it is so good
Burn Cottage Sauvage Pinot Noir 2021
Dried strawberries and hints of truffle, raspberry ripple notes, hints of mocha, zing and sang, this wine will age gracefully into a rather smart classy Pinot
Te Kano Estate – Davy’s Wine Merchants
Zaltos not pictured
Set up by Rhonda Lloyd, from San Francisco, who met her New Zealand husband at a taxi rank at Chicago Airport. Rhonda’s vision has fuelled a unique vineyard and environmental restoration project at Northburn – her unwavering desire to leave a positive legacy for their two daughters and the generations to come.
Te Kano Land Sauvignon Blanc 2023
It has a nose of fresh-
cut passion fruit, then on the palate lime curd, gentle stone fruit, watermelon, and then the brioche essence, with a delicate finish of ripe local peaches. This wine is layered but not overbearing with oak; touch of racy herbaceous notes
Te Kano Landwalker Chardonnay 2023
Matchstick, pineapple, nutty, white nectarines, love the intensity and purity, there is a bright clean citrus cut to the wine, giving it a lift -this is a lovely elegant Chardonnay that will evolve beautifully with age.
Te Kano Land Northburn Pinot Noir 2022
Bright cherries and red berries, loved the purity of this with delicate hints of wild mountain herbs giving it some savoury notes, it’s a beautiful poised Pinot.
Prophet’s Rock – The Wine Society & Jascots
Paul Pujol prior to moving to the remote hills of Central Otago started his wine life at Seresin, then Alsace and over to Oregon and finally to Prophet’s Rock, but here through Domaine Comte Georges de Vogues, he started a friendship with their wine maker, Francois Millet and in 2015 the first edition of Cuvee Antipodees was made, a collaboration where Francois makes this wine in Central from Paul’s vines.
Paul is definitely a keen traveller, as he seemed to pop up regularly at various haunts acrossSouth Island whilst I was there, so I had plenty of opportunity to try many of his wines some not yet labelled or released. Here I list the ones that were labelled, although I must say that a classic Homage to Alsace white blend was magical.
Prophet’s Rock Olearia Pinot Noir 2022
Beautiful clean and focused, backbone of flint/chalk, then in the glass it bursts open with red cherries, raspberries and loganberries, love the minerality/wet stone, freshness wow, good now but will evolve beautifully.
Cuvee Aux Antipodes Blanc 2022
This unique wine made from a small parcel of Prophet’s Rock Chardonnay by Francois Millet. It is sheer class, pineapple, clean cut apple, flint, matchstick, with a delicate perfume that gives it immense quality.
In conclusion
I was tasting over 100 wines a day during my 5 days in Central, so this is just a tiny insight, withwineries such as Felton Road, Rippon, Quartz Reef, Amisfield, Valli, Two Paddocks, Wild Irishman, Cloudy Bay, Clos Osterley, Mt Difficulty, Maude, Mora, Mount Edward, McArthur Ridge and Gibbston Valley all delivering superlative wines.
Although Central Otago is such a distance from the rest of the World they seem to be working in harmony with the rest of the World, involving not only investment but knowledge from America and Burgundy.
What was also hugely significant was Roam Central 2025, a Central Otago weekend of wine, food and discovery. This was predominantly for consumers, most who were international guests. This two day event started off on the Saturday with the 400 odd guests able to choose between 5 venues to spend a long lunch with wine makers. This was followed by dinner at a selection of fine dining venues hosted by winemakers. Sunday was an all day event, hosted at Amisfield, with a morning masterclass showcasing local and global Pinot Noirs before a BBQ lunch, the afternoon allowed the guests to chat and taste from all 35 participating wineries. The weekend came to and end with a picturesque finale at The Cloudy Bay winery.
The quality of the food and wines on show was of exceptional quality, and it was impressive to see the amount of well heeled knowledgable international guests that attended. I joined some 60 guests on the first day at theFelton Road Winery, where both Nigel Greening and Blair Walter from Felton and Rudi Bauer of Quartz Reef hosted the guests. 24 prestige wines were served including a Rippon 1989 Pinot Noir, 2004 Felton Road Riesling, 2013 Quartz Reef Blanc de Blancs in magnum, Felton Road Pinot Noir Block 3 2002band Quartz Reef Pinot Noir 2005.
The Saturday evening event that I attended for some 120 guests was hosted at The Bannockburn Hotel, the 8 course dinner was of superb quality, highlighting local ingredients, and the very best wines including non Pinot Noir. Tickets for the weekend event were sold out, and it was interesting to see the global love for Central Otago.
I now move onto Hawkes Bay on the North Island.
Roger and Sue Jones have recently re-opened The Harrow Terrace for two unique, sold out events promoting New Zealand wines.
