Canterbury

French settlers planted Canterbury's earliest vines at Banks Peninsula in the 1840s. Winegrowing later shifted north towards Waipara. North Canterbury lies on the eastern side of New Zealand's South Island, between the Southern Alps and the Pacific, with a cool, dry climate, good sunshine and a long growing season. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling are important varieties. Sauvignon Blanc is the most planted, though much is sold to larger Marlborough companies and blended elsewhere. The Canterbury Plains are broad and flat, with free-draining gravel soils. Waipara has hills and clay-limestone sites. Its wines include Riesling and Pinot Noir, the latter sometimes full-bodied and deeply fruity, with savoury, herbal or earthy notes. Waikari and Weka Pass are higher and cooler; their wines can have more pronounced acidity than those from warmer Waipara.