C Otago could be 'new Napa Valley'

Central Otago might have the potential to become one of the great wine-producing regions in the world – a Napa Valley of the southern hemisphere.

Central Otago Winegrowers Association executive committee member Mike Mulvey said the viticulture industry was in its infancy and a much larger area was plantable than previously thought.

He said a University of Auckland study, which mapped the growth of wine production in New Zealand set against world-class areas such as Burgundy or Napa Valley, suggested Central Otago was on the cusp of large-scale development.

"We believe we are capable of becoming one of the great wine regions in the world," he said.

The comments were made yesterdayat a Central Otago District Council hearings continue for 23 proposed changes to the district plan.

The plan changes include a proposal to introduce new rural landscape classification maps, on which subdivision and land use rules would be based.

The district council proposal would require viticulturists to obtain more consents and hinder the "right to farm," Mr Mulvey said.

Plantable areas in Central include the Upper Clutha and Tarras basin, the Cromwell basin and the Alexandra-Earnscleugh region.

Land capable of production below the 450m-level could be classed as sensitive and deter investors, the panel was told.

The industry did not want production potential nipped in the bud because of a lack of planning foresight, Mr Mulvey said.

Central Otago's grape-growing potential was vast but viticulturists did not know the specific extent of available land, he said.

The association suggested exempting productive land from such landscape categories to allow for potential development.

Canterbury, Waipara Valley, Marlborough and Central Otago were added to the Great Wine Capital Network last year.

The academic study suggested Central Otago could be larger than Marlborough, the foremost wine-growing region in the South Island, Mr Mulvey said.

The association has 150 members, representing about 100 wineries in Central Otago, where 2000ha of vineyards produce about 10,000 tonnes of grapes annually.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Mulvey said commercial wine producers were becoming increasingly interested in New Zealand because a portfolio needed Marlborough sauvignon blanc and Central Otago pinot noir to compete on the world stage.

The plan change hearings resume on July 20.