Wine from Waipara - South Island

Waipara, a recognised viticultural region, is situated some forty - five miles north of Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand. Vines were first planted in the district in 1981 although commercial winemaking really only started in 1990. Waipara has many natural advantages for grape production - long dry summers, sheltered from cold easterly winds by a range of coastal hills but exposed to the hot nor-west winds which help to control disease, and a remarkable range of soils, including shingle, river stones and pockets of clay loams over limestone.