New Zealand wine has captured the attention of glassware maker Riedel Crystal, resulting in the launch of a Central Otago Pinot Noir glass.

As organisers were gearing up for the 11th anniversary of the Central Otago Pinot Celebration at the end of January, one weary wine scribe was preparing to leave a UK winter behind and catch up with some old acquaintances. 

DAIRY FARMS are few and far between in Central Otago but the New Zealand Grassland Association’s 76^th annual conference in Alexandra last week still had plenty of papers relevant to the sector, and not just in the session designated dairy.

If Central Otago’s insanely beautiful landscape is not enough of a lure for wine media to the region, the annual Central Otago Pinot Noir Limited (COPNL) spring tasting most definitely is.