New Zealand winegrowing region located on the east coast of the South Island near Christchurch, the island’s largest city. There are vineyards southwest of Christchurch on the Canterbury Plain and southeast on Banks Peninsula; north of the city is Waipara. Although considered part of the Canterbury region, Waipara has different soils and climate, which make it a candidate for its own region in the future. History records that French colonists were making wine here as early as the 1840s. There were other sporadic efforts at wine-making over time, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that interest was revived. Growth began in earnest in the mid-1980s. Today, with about 1,200 acres, Canterbury is New Zealand’s fourth largest growing area—barely ahead of AUCKLAND, but significantly behind GISBORNE. This is New Zealand’s coolest commercial growing area (although parts of CENTRAL OTAGO would also contend for this distinction), and good wines require early-ripening grape varieties. The Waipara area is slightly warmer and drier than most of the Canterbury region because it’s sheltered from the coast by the Teviotdale Hills. The most popular varieties are CHARDONNAY, PINOT NOIR, RIESLING, and SAUVIGNON BLANC (Waipara’s most popular). Other varieties include CABERNET SAUVIGNON (which requires a great year to ripen properly), GEWÜRZTRAMINER, MÜLLER-THURGAU, PINOT GRIS, and SÉMILLON.