Central Dozen 2023: A Comparison of the best Pinot Noirs from Central Otago

The southernmost relevant wine region in the world is not located in Patagonia or Tasmania, but along the 45th parallel on New Zealand's South Island, surrounded by the foothills of the Southern Alps. Central Otago is a wine-growing region of extremes. In 1967, a scientist from the Te Kauwhata National Research Institute noted that the conditions on the South Island were not conducive to viticulture — the low night temperatures in summer prevented proper grape ripening.