Canterbury

The Canterbury district is located on the east edge of the South Island, northeast of Central Otago. The principal growing areas are in the flat around the city of Christchurch, where the climate is cool and dry and the soil rich and alluvial, and slightly north in the hills of the Waipara subregion. Here the soil is more chalky and the weather is slightly warmer. In both regions, however, frost still presents a threat when fall temperatures drop at night. Making sure grapes ripen fully before the temperatures drops is always a challenge when the weather is this cool, and earl-ripeners are the norm. The Canterbury region produces a variety of wine, including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling.