Waipara Springs Reserve Chardonnay 2020

Waipara Springs is a family owned and operated winery located in the heart of the Waipara Valley in North Canterbury, about 45 minutes drive north of Christchurch on New Zealand’s south island. A founding winery in the region in the early 1980s, the estate boasts some of the oldest vines in Waipara, with plantings including Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Noir. Third generation Andrew Moore and his wife Katie run the winery, marketing, domestic distribution and international exporting, as well as the busy restaurant on the estate, a popular venue for weddings during the summer.

The Waipara Valley floor is a prehistoric lakebed, the soils a rich blend of clay and limestone, with vineyards sheltered from cool prevailing ocean winds by the Teviotdale Hills to the east. This unique microclimate sets Waipara and Canterbury wines apart from the more ubiquitous Marlborough wines further north, the same vibrant, exotic fruit expression but slightly drier in style, more minerally and with slightly higher acidity.