Cowcliff Hill

The central Otago wine region is the southernmost wine growing region in the world. It has several sub regions. The Gibbston region where I visited is the highest and coolest of them all. The main grape variety cultivated here is the pinot noir. This is the primary grape of Burgundy.
Kinross is a winery that brings together 5 small growers into a single location, much like a co-op. The 5 bottles in the 1st picture are the 5 vinters and are a cross section of their wines. The 2 on the left are made by the founders of wine grape cultivation here. The 2nd from the left, Valli, is made by perhaps the top wine maker in New Zealand, Grant Taylor. Mr. Taylor holds the distinction of being the 1st winner of the award for best pinot noir in the world who is not from France. (I'm told that the French were rather up in arms!). He has now won it 4 times.
The 2nd picture is the entrance to the largest wine cave in New Zealand. The inside is in the 3rd picture.
The last picture is a bit of a vineyard growing pinot noir. It probably goes without saying, but the climate here more or less perfectly matches the conditions under which pinot noir grows best: warms days and cool nights. Add top shelf vintners and you have outstanding wines.
Most of these winemakers are very small. In many cases, their wines can only be bought at the vineyard.Read more