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Michael Cooper - Wine Expert

Southland may be too chilly to grow grapes, but it provides the rest of the country with incredible seafood to accompany fine New Zealand wines.

  Beach Hiking - click for more.
A hiker admires the sun’s rays piercing through the clouds at Masons Bay in Stewart Island.
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For an unforgettable experience, visit Stewart Island, off the southern edge of the South Island. Sit at Half Moon Bay as the sun goes down, watching the fishing fleet come home, while washing down a dozen oysters with a glass of chardonnay...

Chilling facts

It is widely believed that Southland is simply too cold to grow grapes and make wine on a commercial basis - the city of Invercargill lies at a latitude of 46 degrees south, exposed to icy polar winds. Nevertheless, there are bound to be trailblazers who will want to push the boundaries and try planting grapes there. We are a nation of innovators and adventurers.

Oysters and chardonnay

Bluff Oysters at Shed 5 - click for more.
New Zealand oysters are world reknowned, and can make a delicious appetiser or main course.
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Bluff, at the very tip of the South Island, is famous for oysters, and there is nothing better than a glass of chardonnay with these plump, salty delicacies. The classic combination is oysters and Chablis - a steely style of chardonnay with crisp, lemony, appley flavours.

To find a similar style of wine in New Zealand, you would go to one of the relatively cool South Island regions - most of Central Otago's mouth-wateringly crisp chardonnays fit the bill perfectly.




Southland

Wine Events

  • Hokonui Moonshiners Festival (Feb)
  • Bluff Oyster and Southland Seafood Festival (Apr)
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