It's just a fact that Pinot Noir is a more expensive wine to make because simply put it's not that easy to grow, harvest or make – it’s thin skinned varietal which means the grapes are more susceptible to disease, rot and even sunburn when on the vines and it has to be hand picked unlike other grapes that can be machine harvested.
Central Otago gets all the glory but actually, Marlborough is starting to win as many wine accolades and the Pinots are SO good! My two favourite non-Central Otago regions are Marlborough & Martinborough. Marlborough Pinots are a lighter style and very red fruity wher are Martinborough Pinot is more savoury & earthy
My picks for Non-Central Pinot are:
Dashwood Pinot Noir 2016 from Marlborough is a lovely easy drinking Pinot with delicious smells of plum & berries, you just cannot go past this wine for value for money coming in at only $18 and available at supermarkets nationwide. This wine was recently chosen by Etihad as one of their Business Class wine selections.
I'm a fan of Allan Scott wines and I have been for years, they are consistently good quality! This delicious Pinot Noir from the Generations range is a single vineyard wine which has aromas of plums & cherries & is super fruit forward which is typically Marlborough. A bit of a treat this wine is about $32
I have nothing but good things say about the wines from Martinborough Estate from, well you guessed it, Martinborough. Martinborough is regarded as the New Zealand wine region most similar in growing conditions and wine style to Burgundy and the team at Martinborough Estate were the first vineyard in Martinborough to grow Pinot Noir grapes. This wine is a little more expensive at $68 but it really is worthy of the price point. If you have a Pinot Noir adorer in the house whom would appreciate that then this one is most definitely worth the investment. For a Pinot-loving Dad this would be such a special Father’s day gift. Also if you can find one from 2013 then definitely buy it as that was an exceptional year for Martinborough!