词条 | Central Otago wine region |
释义 |
The Central Otago wine region is the world's southern-most commercial wine growing region. Central Otago's best-known wines are its Pinot noirs, but many white wine varieties are also popular. The Central Otago Wine Region is the formal geographic indication for wines grown in Central Otago.[1] History of the wine regionSignificant European occupation in this region started with the Central Otago Gold Rush in the 1860s, but a French immigrant gold miner, Jean Desire Feraud, soon started planting vines and embarking upon small-scale commercial wine production — even winning medals in Australian wine competitions. Late in the nineteenth century, the New Zealand government hired a winemaker to survey the country. While this early experimentation showed the wine-growing potential of the region, the wine industry did not survive for long on a commercial basis. Starting in the 1950s, and up through the end of the 1970s, small scale trial plantings of vines began again both by private individuals and under the auspices of the New Zealand Department of Agriculture. By 1980 sufficient experience and confidence had been gained for small scale commercial plantings to be made. Vineyard planting and production remained modest until the middle of the 1990s when the industry began to expand rapidly. In 1996 there were just 11 wineries in the Central Otago region, according to New Zealand Winegrowers, accounting for just 4.6% of the national total. By 2004 this had risen to 75 wineries and 16.2%. Over the same period, the area planted with vines rose from 92 hectares (1.4% of the national total) to 1,062 hectares (5.1%). Reflecting this rapid expansion, the long lead-time for planting to come into production, and the focus in Central Otago on quality wines rather than bulk wines, actual wine production accounted for only 0.5% (376 tonnes) of the New Zealand total in 1996, increasing to 0.9% (1,439 tonnes) in 2004. Climate and soilAt around {{convert|300|m|ft}} elevation, Central Otago's vineyards are protected from New Zealand's characteristic maritime climate by high mountains up to {{convert|3700|m|ft}} . They thus have the only true continental climate zone in the country, with large daily and seasonal temperature extremes. Rainfall averages around {{convert|375-600|mm|in}}: summer is hot and relatively dry, and often accompanied by the Nor'wester foehn wind; autumn is short, cool and sunny; and winter is cold, with substantial falls of snow. Heavy frosts are common throughout winter and, indeed, frost can occur at any time between March and November. One of Central Otago's warmest wine growing areas can be found just north of the Lowburn Inlet area. The climatic contrast between Central Otago and the more humid, warmer wine regions of the North Island can be illustrated by the difference in the timing of the grape harvest. In the more northerly vineyards, picking generally takes place in late February or early March, while in Central Otago the harvest begins in mid to late April — a difference of some six to seven weeks. The structure of the soil also differs considerably from other wine growing regions of the country, with heavy deposits of rough-edged mica and other metamorphic schists in silt loams. This soil drains easily, and given that most vineyards are positioned on hillside slopes, artificial irrigation is generally essential. Central Otago's winesPinot noir is the leading grape variety in Central Otago, estimated to account for some 70% of plantings. The other 30% of production comes from Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, Riesling, Pinot gris, and Gewürztraminer. Sparkling wine is made in the traditional style from Pinot noir and Chardonnay grapes. Sub regionsThe Central Otago wine region is broken into multiple sub regions, each with its own climate and characteristics.
References1. ^{{cite web |title=New Zealand Winegrowers Labelling Guide 22nd Edition August 2013 |url=http://www.nzwine.com/assets/sm/upload/5l/ep/ut/un/NZW_labelling_guide_Aug2013.pdf |website=New Zealand Wine |accessdate=1 April 2015}} 2. ^1 {{cite web |title=Central Otago Vineyards & Wineries |url=https://www.cowa.org.nz/central-otago-wine-region.html |website=Central Otago Wine Association (COWA) |accessdate=24 Aug 2010}} External links
4 : Wine regions of New Zealand|Geography of Otago|Central Otago District|Clutha River |
随便看 |
|
开放百科全书收录14589846条英语、德语、日语等多语种百科知识,基本涵盖了大多数领域的百科知识,是一部内容自由、开放的电子版国际百科全书。