Waipara Valley Wine Region

The Teviotdale hills shelter Waipara from the cold easterly off the Pacific, which gives the valley warmer, drier and longer ripening than the rest of Canterbury, and limestone runs through the soils. Planting began seriously in the 1980s and there are now around thirty producers on a small area. Riesling is the variety that made the region's name - dry through to sweet, with the acidity the cool nights preserve - and pinot noir, pinot gris and chardonnay fill out most of the rest. The scale is small and personal: several cellar doors are staffed by the people who made the wine, and some open by appointment only. A number of producers here work organically or biodynamically, which is more common in this valley than most. It is about an hour from Christchurch on the main road north, which makes it the city's practical wine day and a stop on the way to Kaikoura.

What you actually see

• The riesling - the variety the valley is known for, dry to sweet.
• The limestone soils - and the hills that shelter the valley.
• The small producers - around thirty, several owner-staffed.
• The organic growers - unusually concentrated here.

When to go

November to April; harvest is March and April. Several cellar doors open by appointment or on limited days in winter - check before driving out.

Honest expectations

Small - do not expect Marlborough's scale or opening hours. Tastings are charged. Cellar doors are spread along the highway and side roads; a driver is needed.

Nearby

Hanmer Springs is inland; Kaikoura is north and Christchurch an hour south.