Akarua Winery has rapidly developed a world-wide reputation for producing quality wines. Located in New Zealand's Central Otago (the world's southern-most winemaking region), Akarua was established in 1996 by long-time Otago icon Sir Clifford Skeggs. Austere, arid hills and valleys characterise the Bannockburn sub-region where Akarua has its 50 hectare vineyard and winery. Intensely hot dry summers are borne from a close leeward proximity to the Southern Alps, stifling much of the inclement weather that comes from the west. Soil condition is perverse, a combination of fragmented schist rock and light sand.
Yet it is these extremes that extract the best from our vines and give rise to an amazing array of flavours and other qualities in Akarua’s range of stunning wines.
The flagship wine, Akarua Pinot Noir, noted for its density and flavour concentration, has taken many awards including Wine of the Show at the 2003 Air New Zealand Awards. More recently New Zealand wine writer Bob Campbell has described the 2004 ‘Gullies’ Pinot Noir as ‘one of the best wines from the region in this vintage’.
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