Regional Variation and Wine Style

This paper is concerned with the discussion of the influence of regional factors on the production of wine. The region in focus is Central Otago in New Zealand which is known for Pinot Noir, a fine variety of wine. The paper discusses about the historical context of wine production and wineries in Central Otago, identification of the factors that influence the production of wine and their varieties, discussion on the sub-regions in Central Otago and the different wines found in each of the regions based on the climatic conditions.

Running head: REGIONAL VARIATION AND WINE STYLE
REGIONAL VARIATION AND WINE STYLE
Name of student:
Name of university:
Author note:

1
REGIONAL VARIATION AND WINE STYLE
Summary
This paper is concerned with the discussion of the influence of regional factors on the
production of wine. The region in focus is Central Otago in New Zealand which is known for
Pinot Noir, a fine variety of wine. The paper discusses about the historical context of wine
production and wineries in Central Otago, identification of the factors that influence the
production of wine and their varieties, discussion on the sub-regions in Central Otago and the
different wines found in each of the regions based on the climatic conditions.

2
REGIONAL VARIATION AND WINE STYLE
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
History of wine industry.............................................................................................................3
Identification of the key characteristics of regions which influence wine style........................4
Different sub-regions of Central Otago......................................................................................4
Winestyles and plantings............................................................................................................6
Conclusions................................................................................................................................7
References..................................................................................................................................8
Appendices...............................................................................................................................10

3
REGIONAL VARIATION AND WINE STYLE
Introduction
Central Ontago in New Zealand is famous for its scenic splendor. Located in the
southernmost region it is known for producing wine that it true to its continental variety. Dry
summers and cold winters characterize the region. The soil structure of this region is different
from the soil structures in the rest of New Zealand that has heavy mineral content in the silt
loams. According to Santini, Cavicchi & Casini, (2013), New Zealand is known for its much
reputed Pinot Noir wines and the Central Otago is known for producing the finest variety of
Pinot Noir. The central Ontago region is the seventh largest producer of wine in New
Zealand. The Pinot Noir is the dominant variety of grape of grape grown in that region. The
aim of this paper is to discuss and examine the impact of climatic conditions, soil and other
factors present in Central Ontago on the wine styles. The paper also provides a brief history
of wineries in New Zealand. There is also discussion on the different varieties of wine found
in the region.
History of wine industry
It seems that the history of wine in New Zealand, is short, however wines prepared
from grape varieties have been available in the 1980s and in 1990s, sauvignon blancs and
pinot noirs have made quite a mark in the international market. In New Zealand, the first
grapevine plantation was established in the year 1819 (Knight, Klaere, Fedrizzi & Goddard,
2015). The first winemaker in the country was Scotsman James who was appointed by the
British Resident in New Zealand. It was during the 1920s and 1930s that the wine industry
witnessed an unprecedented boom during the Second World War. During this period, duties
the import duties on wine were raised. During the 1960s and 1970s there was heavy
investment made by the overseas companies in America and Australia. The 1970s witnessed
the improvement in wine quality and production of wine. In New Zealand, the kiwi wine

4
REGIONAL VARIATION AND WINE STYLE
drinkers have a penchant for fully dry wines. In New Zealand, the wineries were established
with the aim of serving the small domestic market that operated within the highly channelized
economy. According to Tomasino, Harrison, Sedcole, & Frost, (2013), new wine companies
started proliferating in New Zealand in the Central Otago region to Northland. In the present
time, the wineries in New Zealand have reached to 670 as compared to fewer number of
wineries 100 years ago.
Identification of the key characteristics of regions which influence wine
style
The Central Ontago Region is the is the southernmost wine region and in the country
it is known for the highest production of wine in the country. In the semi-continental climate
frosts are an accepted but it is ultimately the site selection that play the key role in
influencing the wine styles. According to Hannah et al., (2013), this region is characterized
by high sunshine hours and short and humid summers that lead to an idyllic and brutal
landscape essential for the vines. In addition, the region boasts of dry autumn and low
humidity that are considered important assets for the production of pure and complex variety
of wines. The soil in Central Otago consists of moderately old and windblown loess. There
are layers of loess that are situated in the depths and interspersed with sandy soils and gravels
that is an outcome of water erosion (History of wine production in Central Otago - Altitude
Tours, 2018). The amount of low rainfall minimizes the impact of leaching and maintains the
minerality present in the soil. There are low level of organic matter. This results in the soil
being low in vigour and high in mineral richness. This allows the irrigation of the to regulate
vine stress and optimize on the quality of fruit. These characteristic features of the region has
positioned Central Otago in the world map as a region specializing in winegrowing terroir
and contributes in the production of high quality boutique wines.

5
REGIONAL VARIATION AND WINE STYLE
Different sub-regions of Central Otago
In Central Otago, New Zealand, all of the main wine-growing regions are located in
close proximity. The region features distinctive mountainous terrain that provides an
interesting climate, altitude and aspect. Pinot Noir variety have flourished in the Central
Otago region as it comprises a series of stunning expressions. The region has been
historically known for ‘preeminently suitable for winemaking’ and the region received its
first gold medal in Sydney in 1881 for Burgundy. There was the prevalence of stonefruit till
the revival in 1950s (Anderson, Jones, Tait, Hall & Trought, 2012). This was followed by the
commitment in the 1970s ushered in by the winegrowing pioneers. These pioneers were
Chard Farm, Black Ridge, Rippon and Gibbston Valley.
Central Otago has different sub-regions that specialize in different styles of wine. The
Wanaka region has a spectacular landscape and is known for some of the best Pinot Noir
especially the white wines. It is situated between the mountain ranges which is in the north of
Queenstown and 80 km. It is considered as one of the most spectacular wineyards in the
Central Otago region. Wanaka is cooler in temperature and wetter compared to Queenstown
and the Cromwell regions. The Lake Wanaka is known for reflecting the radiation and
mitigating frost that leads to vivid wine production. The Cromwell sub-region is situated on
the western side of Lake Dunstan that is spanning the north for 25 km from the township of
Cromwell (Mozell & Thach, 2014). Most of the plantings are located in the lower terraces
and the valley floor runs adjacent to the Pisa mountain range that is known for producing
potent variety of wines. In the Bannockburn region the wines have a distinctive and complex
taste. It is located to the south bank of the Kawarau River in the southern terminus. The
vineyards is located in the extremely warm and dry areas of the region. The harvest of these
grapes can take upto a month. Then there is the Gibbston sub-region which is epitomized
with extremely harsh climatic conditions. This has steered to proper site selection. The wines

6
REGIONAL VARIATION AND WINE STYLE
are characterized by great finesse and intensity. It is nestled in the eastern side of Queenstown
along the Kawarau Gorge. Gibbston has entrenched itself in the wine making business since
1987. This sub-region has a cooler climate and it is brimming with north-facing hillside
vines. All these climatic conditions lead to the production of intense varieties of wines. Then
there is the Alexanda region which is known for Feraud’s stone winery that is situated in the
schist landscape. It is the most southerly sub-region and has dry climatic conditions that can
become quite extreme during the winter and summer season. All these climatic conditions
contribute to aromatic, vividly varietal and precisely structured wines.
Winestyles and plantings
The varieties of wine found in the central Otago region are Pinot Noir, Aromatics,
Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The Pinot Noir is the flagship variety and its appeal
increases with the increase in the region and the vines. It is prepared from the fragrant and
lush fruit that is characterized by its authentic intensity, silky texture and unique taut structure
(Central Otago Wine Region | Wineries | Wines of NZ., 2018). There is variation in Pinot
Noir based on the different sub-regions. The aromatics variety may range from the austerely
dry to extremely sweet. A sparkling fruit that has a clean and impeccable structure
characterizes it. Citrus and mineral characters characterize the chardonnay variety of wine. It
represents a fine-bodied and taut structure that can be reserved during the young stage but
will become elegant and have great complexity on maturation. The Sauvignon Blanc is
characterized by a linear structure and has refreshing acidity and accentuated with stony
finishes (New Zealand Wine: Small Beginnings to the Global Stage, 2018). It is basically
mineral and gunflint that is overlain with passion fruit and pineapple. There are several other
varieties of wine in the region those are perfumated and rosy, prepared through the saignee
method and make delicious aperitifs that are firm and complex and have generated critical

7
REGIONAL VARIATION AND WINE STYLE
recognition (Sturman et al., 2017). Therefore, it can be found that although New Zealand
contributes to the production of less than 1 per cent of the wine in the world, it offers a
spectacular range of wine that is known for its premium quality and multiple varieties. The
maritime climate of the region has led to the distinctive nature of wine of the region.
Conclusions
Based on the above discussion it can be concluded that the Central Otago region of
New Zealand is favorable for the growth of vineyards and production of wine. The climatic
factors and type of soil in the region influences the production of premium and fine variety of
wines. It is also discussed that although Central Otago contributes to less than 1 per cent of
wine production yet it manages to remain a favorite among the wine connoisseurs. Some of
the varieties of wine found in this region are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and many other wine
types are grown in the vineyards of Central Otago.

8
REGIONAL VARIATION AND WINE STYLE
References
Anderson, J. D., Jones, G. V., Tait, A., Hall, A., & Trought, M. C. (2012). Analysis of
viticulture region climate structure and suitability in New Zealand. Journal
International des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin, 46(3), 149-165.
Central Otago Wine Region | Wineries | Wines of NZ. (2018). Wines of NZ. Retrieved 12
April 2018, from http://www.winesofnz.com/new-zealand-wine-regions/central-
otago-wine-region/
Hannah, L., Roehrdanz, P. R., Ikegami, M., Shepard, A. V., Shaw, M. R., Tabor, G., ... &
Hijmans, R. J. (2013). Climate change, wine, and conservation. Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, 110(17), 6907-6912.
History of wine production in Central Otago - Altitude Tours. Retrieved 2018, from
https://www.altitudetours.co.nz/region-central-otago/history-wine-production-central-
otago/
Knight, S., Klaere, S., Fedrizzi, B., & Goddard, M. R. (2015). Regional microbial signatures
positively correlate with differential wine phenotypes: evidence for a microbial aspect
to terroir. Scientific reports, 5, 14233.
Mozell, M. R., & Thach, L. (2014). The impact of climate change on the global wine
industry: Challenges & solutions. Wine Economics and Policy, 3(2), 81-89.
New Zealand Wine: Small Beginnings to the Global Stage. (2018). Nzwine.com. Retrieved
12 April 2018, from https://www.nzwine.com/en/news-media/new-zealand-wine-
small-beginnings-to-the-global-stage/

9
REGIONAL VARIATION AND WINE STYLE
Santini, C., Cavicchi, A., & Casini, L. (2013). Sustainability in the wine industry: key
questions and research trends a. Agricultural and Food Economics, 1(1), 9.
Sturman, A., Zawar-Reza, P., Soltanzadeh, I., Katurji, M., Bonnardot, V., Parker, A., ... &
Schulmann, T. (2017). The application of high-resolution atmospheric modelling to
weather and climate variability in vineyard regions.
Tomasino, E., Harrison, R., Sedcole, R., & Frost, A. (2013). Regional differentiation of New
Zealand Pinot noir wine by wine professionals using canonical variate
analysis. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, ajev-2013.

10
REGIONAL VARIATION AND WINE STYLE
Appendices
Image 1 Histogram showing the word frequencies of Central Otago’s Pinot noir wines
Image 2
Indication for wine grown in Central Otago

11
REGIONAL VARIATION AND WINE STYLE
Image 3
Major wine regions of the world