“If you consider that Martinborough Pinot Noir started in the 1980s, we didn’t get underway until the mid-1990s but it was a time when the world was hungry for new things. We tapped into that hunger with high-quality wines and an international focus from the start,” says Felton Road winemaker Blair Walter, who began there in 1996.
Slightly earlier, the first modern wines in Central were pioneered by people such as former journalist Alan Brady, who founded Gibbston Valley Wines (now sold), then founded Mt Edward (also sold) and now makes “The Wild Irishman” Pinot Noirs. Then the Hay brothers founded Chard Farm and the Dicey family founded Mt Difficulty Wines, later selling and starting Dicey Wines. Actor Sam Neill planted his first vineyard in Central in 1993, bringing a desire to make “a passable wine for friends and family” (a goal he far surpassed) and a deep affection for the place.
These are some of the big names but there have been many lesser-known names too, all of them sharing a common desire to make great Pinot Noir, marketing it and celebrating its success together. Of all the winemaking mantras I’ve heard as a wine writer over a similar timeframe, the most enduring has been the constant refrain from Central – success for one is success for all. Another powerful string to Central’s winemaking is the focus on sub-regions and their compelling points of difference. These include Alexandra’s arid edgy climate, the slightly warmer areas of Bannockburn, Bendigo, Lowburn, Northburn and Pisa and the lake-moderated climate of Wānaka. And let’s not forget Gibbston Valley; small in volume and mighty in style (see my top drops below). And that’s not even the full list. Central’s patchwork of different climates is stitched together by mountains, lakes, wind funnels and river valleys.
Central Otago. Photo / 123RF
Wine producers Misha and Andy Wilkinson were drawn to the region’s beauty. “Everything about Central Otago is spectacular from its awe-inspiring mountains, deep river gorges and pristine lakes. They aren’t just a stunning backdrop; they define our extreme climate, which translates into fruit of unparalleled intensity and wines of vibrancy and elegance,” says Misha.
Fellow winemaker Rudi Bauer was also drawn to the region for its majestic natural beauty but he remained there for the wine. Today, he has pressed Pinot Noir into innovative styles at Quartz Reef winery. Sparkling wine now makes up 55% of his production, mostly made from Pinot Noir, using champagne methods of secondary fermentation in the bottle.
“People have only seen the tip of the wine mountain in Central,” says Bauer. “The last 40 years have been remarkable but it’s still early days.”
Early it may be, but the remarkable thing (aside from the region’s incredible lakes and mountains) is the unusually unified collaboration in Central. From the start, that collaboration turned virtually non-existent marketing budgets into “let’s bring people here and get their views and see where it takes us”.
Like most overnight success stories, this one has been at least 30 years in the making. There have been lesser wines made in higher volumes but the best producers have remained focused on quality. The late great Sam Neill once said: “I want to make a wine that tastes like Mt Aspiring-meets-Burgundy.” It makes perfect sense to weave a New Zealand thread through a wine made from a great French grape and I can still hear the passion for Central Otago in his voice.
Ten top drops from Central Otago
2023 Chard Farm Tiger Pinot Noir RRP $88
Grapes grown in Lowburn bring bright red and spicy charm to this wine, which is named after the man who once ran the cellar door at Chard Farm. His charm earned him the moniker “Tiger”.
2023 Coal Pit Tiwha Pinot Noir RRP $85
This new release has two years’ bottle age which brings depth and power to seductive dark fruit aromas. Full bodied, dry and drinking beautifully, it will age.
2019 Quartz Reef Blanc de Blancs RRP $95
Modelled on champagne, made in small volumes with extended lees ageing bringing creamy nuances to the crisp cool depth of flavour.
Quartz Reef NV RRP $41.99
One of the best bubblies in Aotearoa, made mostly from Pinot Noir with a little Chardonnay and usually two years ageing on lees. Toasty, dry, full bodied. Delicious.
2021 Misha’s Vineyard Verismo Pinot Noir RRP $85
Hand-harvested grapes bring silky refinement to vibrant dark fruit aromas. Grown on the sunny slopes of Misha and Andy Wilkinson’s Bendigo vineyard at 210 to 350m above sea level.
2025 Felton Road MacMuir Pinot Noir RRP $108
Felton Road has pioneered diverse Pinot Noirs and the superlative MacMuir Pinot Noir is the newest. Power packed with incredible fragrance of dark and red fruit, purity and depth. A keeper.
2024 Rockburn The Barrels Bunton Vineyard Gibbston Pinot Noir RRP $110
Gibbston is one of the coolest and highest altitudes of Central’s sub-regions, bringing powerful floral, redcurrant and savoury aromas to the glass. Cellar it.
2024 Mount Edward Pinot Noir $55
A consistent standout Central Pinot Noir with red cherry, dark floral aromas, a touch of wild thyme. Beautiful wine.
2024 Two Paddocks Pinot Noir RRP $78
Barrel selection of Two Paddocks’ four vineyards Alexandra, Bannockburn and Gibbston. High-density vines, diverse clones and low crops bring complexity and fruit power.
2024 Valli Gibbston Pinot Noir RRP $85
Winemaker Grant Taylor worked at Gibbston Valley wines for 20 years and founded Valli in 1998, now working with three other winemakers, including Jen Parr. This is my top pick. I love its vibrant fruit aromas and sublime spectrum of complexity.
Meet the columnist
Joelle Thomson is a journalist, columnist and author who fell for wine after drinking a big buttery Australian Chardonnay in Wellington in the late 1980s. She later moved to the UK, and cemented her passion for wine, writing her first column when she returned to Aotearoa in the mid-1990s. She has since published 16 wine books, taught British (WSET) and NZQA wine qualifications, judged at wine shows and obtained the WSET Level 4 Diploma. She writes fulltime, loves the world of wine and is particularly partial to Pinot Noir, Chianti Classico and Barolo, among others. joellethomson.com