TRENZ blog: In praise of Otago’s pinots
TRENZ, New Zealand’s annual travel trade showcase, has made sure that no one leaves town without experiencing a little of what Queenstown has to offer.
Business on the show floor packed up early afternoon as buyers were whisked away to take part in a variety of events that included bungy jumping, zip-lining, river jetting and flights by helicopter and fixed wing aircraft.
Your intrepid reporter passed on the bungy jumping and although plans to take a flight to Milford Sound were cut short by bad weather conditions, he was reassured to hear from the pilot, Hank, that both aircraft and pilots used by Air Milford are the best at flying in windy (read bumpy) conditions that prevail around these parts.
Today the weather was perfect for taking a tour of the vineyards of central Otago, where some of the world’s best pinot noir is produced.
Ian, our driver and guide from Appellation Central Wine Tours, told us that the vineyards of central Otago are the most southerly vineyards in the world.
Apparently, only five percent of the world’s population ever travels this far south. Pity they’re missing some fabulous experiences.
The pinot noir grapes love the climate here, thriving on the warm days in summer and the cool nights.
We met Gant Taylor who produces Valli Wines, a boutique operation whose pinots are rated among the best. Don’t take Grant’s word for it though, as he has won the London International Wine Challenge Best Pinot Noir Trophy twice – a feat that no other winemaker has yet to achieve.
Grant told us that his wines, which we tasted in a renovated sheep shearing shed, “capture the sense of place†that is this dramatically beautiful region of the South Island.
The wines in the Otago region are still relatively young compared to the benchmark pinots in Burgundy, and the best is yet to come, Grant says.
And that surely is just one more good reason to come back to Queenstown,
By Ian Jarrett
Ian Jarrett
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