Author(s): Danny Schuster, David Jackson & Rupert Tipples

Non-Fiction

This is the story of one of the most exciting wine districts in the country, written by pioneers of the modern wine industry. Grapevines first arrived in Canterbury with the earliest French settlers in 1840, ten years before formal settlement of Canterbury by the British. These vineyards did not survive and it was not until 1978 that the first commercial Canterbury vineyard, St Helena, was planetd on Coutts Island, 20 kilometers north of Christchurch. Canterbury's low rainfall, long dry autumns, warm days and cool nights allow grapes to ripen slowly with excellent flavours. Why, then, did it take nearly 150 years for these characteristics to be recognised and commercially exploited? The potential of Canterbury's cool climate was recognised by David Jackson and Danny Schuster who, along with other scientists and wine enthusiasts, conducted experiments at Lincoln University and encouraged the first commercial planting of grape varities in the region. Today Canterbury produces some superb wines, from exciting new Pinot Noirs to award-winning aromatic Rieslings, which sell nationally and internationally to an appreciative and increasingly discriminating public. The book not only tells the fascinating story of the development of a new industry, but it also gives pointers in the characters of wines, describes the grapes and wines of the region in some detail and provides an illustrated guide to Canterbury wineries. It will be of immense interest to anyone with a serious interest in wine - and a useful guide to those who want to discover where to go to sample and buy some of New Zealand's best wines. Paperback (Large Format)