Cheers to Pinot Noir Day

It is International Pinot Noir Day on Monday, August 18 — and many New Zealanders have plenty of reason to celebrate.

It’s a delicate but intense grape that found a home away from home in their rich soils.

It was first planted in the Wairarapa region of North Island in 1883 — though it was only commercially bottled in 1987.

It is now the country’s favourite red wine. More than 1.5 million cases are exported each year.

PLACES FOR PINOT

New Zealand has more than 240 cellar doors with over 530 winery experiences.

And pinot noir can be tasted at these cellar doors:

+ The Landing — Bay of Islands, Northland

+ Wild Estate — Waiheke Island, Auckland

+ Matawhero — Gisborne

+ Crab Farm Winery — Hawke’s Bay

+ Smith & Sheth — Hawke’s Bay

+ Moy Hall — Wairarapa

+ Gravity Winery & Cellar Door — Nelson

+ Framingham — Marlborough

+ Wither Hills Cellar Door & Restaurant — Marlborough

+ Greystone — North Canterbury

+ Kinross — Central Otago

+ Domaine Thomson — Central Otago

CELLAR DOOR TIPS

The team at NZ Wine has these cellar door tips, in their own words:

+ Plan — do not plan too many tastings for the day. On average, plan to spend 1½-2 hours at each place, and include your travel time between location.

+ Book ahead — some cellar doors are by appointment only, and for others, opening hours may change seasonally, so if you are keen to visit a particular winery it is always a good idea to call ahead to confirm availability.

+ Getting around — ensure you have a designated driver, or alternatively, there are plenty of wine tour operators who can take people on bespoke or prearranged tours.

+ Pre-book — winery restaurants are extremely popular and often walk-ins are turned away.

+ Allow time — good wine and food takes time, so enjoy it!

+ Many wine regions are cycle-friendly, and well set-up for biking visitors. Walking between vineyards is also an option.

+ Research and plan ahead — you do not want to miss out on something exciting because you have to leave!

+ Stay onsite so no driving is needed. There are plenty of places you can sleep among the vines.

+ If you do stay onsite, take comfortable shoes and a warm jacket, so you can make the most of nighttime strolls where it’s just you and the vines.

fact file

New Zealand Winegrowers is the national organisation for the country’s grape and wine sector, with over 600 grower members and 700 winery members. Established in March 2002, we are the only unified national winegrowers industry body in the world.

nzwine.com