The Canterbury region, including Christchurch and the nearby Waipara Valley, is home to over 80 wineries, making it the fourth-largest winemaking area in New Zealand. The area's unique combination of long hours of sunshine, stony, free-draining soils, low rainfall, and cool winters, produces grapes with complex and developed flavors, particularly well-suited to the production of red wines such as cabernet, merlot, and pinot noir.
The Waipara Valley, less than an hour's drive from Christchurch, is a relatively new but rapidly growing wine region, known for its aromatic wines, including silky pinot noir, citrusy chardonnay, zesty riesling, and delicate pinot gris.
Some of the notable wineries in the Christchurch and North Canterbury area include Pegasus Bay Winery, Greystone Wines, Black Estate, Waipara Hills, and many others. Pegasus Bay Winery offers a unique tasting experience in its cellar, surrounded by aging wine, and features a Mini Deli with a range of bites to create your own antipasto. Greystone Wines is known for its exceptional, hand-crafted, organic vintages, while Black Estate offers seasonal lunches complemented by their award-winning wines. Waipara Hills, located north of Christchurch, is known for its picturesque setting and impressive vintages, named champions every year since 2014.
Visitors to the area can enjoy wine tours, wine and food festivals, and unique experiences such as the Winery Heli-Tour, which offers a spectacular scenic flight over the vineyards of Waipara, and the Greystone PurePod, a unique winery accommodation located above the award-winning Greystone vineyard. The region's wineries and vineyards, known for their quality wines and beautiful settings, attract visitors from all over New Zealand and overseas, offering a delightful experience for wine enthusiasts and tourists alike.