Displaying items by tag: Central Otago

Every year in April, or there-a-bouts, large groups of people gather together for the annual ritual of harvest.

Folding Hill vigneron Tim Kerruish plans to plant half a hectare of white grapes on his heat drenched, Pinot-dedicated slopes at Bendigo in Central Otago. 

Metamorphic rocks and shallow schist soils are never far from mind in Central Otago where the wineries are enveloped in the dramatic physical presence of both. 

Phylloxera. The very word strikes fear into the heart of grape growers and winemakers everywhere from Bordeaux to Central Otago, where emaciated vines, yellowing leaves and declining productivity are of growing concern to those with phylloxera.

A long, dry and hot summer has growers and winemakers excited about the possibility of a great vintage ahead, with the arrival of Cyclone Pam doing little to deter that excitement. 

New Zealand wine has captured the attention of glassware maker Riedel Crystal, resulting in the launch of a Central Otago Pinot Noir glass.

As organisers were gearing up for the 11th anniversary of the Central Otago Pinot Celebration at the end of January, one weary wine scribe was preparing to leave a UK winter behind and catch up with some old acquaintances. 

DAIRY FARMS are few and far between in Central Otago but the New Zealand Grassland Association’s 76^th annual conference in Alexandra last week still had plenty of papers relevant to the sector, and not just in the session designated dairy.

If Central Otago’s insanely beautiful landscape is not enough of a lure for wine media to the region, the annual Central Otago Pinot Noir Limited (COPNL) spring tasting most definitely is.