Pinot Gris (Central Otago, New Zealand)

We haven't been to New Zealand yet on this trip. Let's fix that today. We're heading to the southernmost widely recognized wine region in the world, Central Otago (of course, we've already taken a trip to Antarctica, but that is not recognized as a wine region). 

New Zealand is split into two main islands generally known by the creative names of the North Island and the South Island. Central Otago lies toward the southern part of the South Island. The weather here can only be described as extreme. Winters here are colder and have more frost (nearly five months per year) than any other place in New Zealand. Summers here are among the warmest and the dryest in the country. And, at roughly 45 degrees south, summers get more sunlight than almost any other wine region in the world.

The wine-growing area in Central Otago (by the way, there are not any directional Otagos to distinguish from Central) is quite hilly. Protected by the mountains on the South Island (among the very highest in Oceania), the hillside vineyards, summers are quite dry and are warmed by the characteristics nor'wester foehn bringing in the currents from the Tasman Sea. With these warm hot summer days and cool nights, harvest is late (often into mid-April, the equivalent of Mid-October in the northern hemisphere).

The soil here is metamorphic characterized by layers and layers of mica. With hillside plantings, drainage is easy, but at the same time, regular irrigation is essential.

Because Central Otago has all of these unique characteristics, the locally produced Pinot Gris (the grey mutation of Pinot Noir) is also quite unique. Rather than the citrusy flavors that American wine drinkers expect in this grape, the Pinot Gris from Central Otago is often characterized by the orchard fruit and large bee population of the area.

These wines are relatively high in alcohol, mostly above 14% ABV, and exhibit notes of peach, pear, lychee, and honey. They are full-bodied, quite rounded, and have a layered complexity that lends itself to sipping the wines rather than drinking them more rapidly.

Pair your Pinot Gris from Central Otago with Fettucine Alfredo or try a pork tenderloin topped with a warm orchard fruit compote.


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