Gibbston Valley is one of Central Otago’s founding estates — a producer carved from schist and silence, where winemaking meets the wild edge of New Zealand’s South Island. Established in 1983 by Alan Brady, Gibbston Valley produced the region’s first commercial Pinot Noir, setting the tone for what would become a world-renowned cool-climate wine region. Today, the winery continues to lead with clarity and depth, crafting wines that speak of elevation, structure, and place.

The estate’s vineyards are scattered across Central Otago’s most expressive subregions — including the Gibbston subregion itself, as well as Bendigo, China Terrace, and School House in the Pisa Ranges. Each site brings a distinct microclimate, with altitudes ranging from 320 to 450 metres, producing fruit with natural tension, aromatic lift, and fine-grained tannin. Farming is carried out with sustainable practices, and the focus is on low yields and high vineyard precision to showcase site over style.

Winemaking is restrained and intentional. Pinot Noir is the heart of the estate — fermented with native yeast, partial whole bunch, and gentle extraction, then aged in French oak (mostly seasoned) to retain the purity and elegance of the fruit. Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Rosé round out the range, all crafted with a focus on texture, mineral drive, and clarity rather than overt fruit. Gibbston Valley also produces Méthode Traditionnelle sparkling, with a house style that favours restraint and length.

The wines are poised and finely tuned. Gibbston Valley Pinot Noir is perfumed and taut — red cherry, forest floor, and wild thyme, shaped by schist and cool air. School House Pinot Noir, from the Pisa ranges, shows darker fruit and quiet power, while China Terrace offers spice and precision. Chardonnay is flinty and saline, with white peach and almond depth. Across the range, the wines are quietly expressive — structured for age, but lit with alpine clarity.

What defines Gibbston Valley is not only its pioneering role, but its enduring sense of restraint — a producer that shaped a region by showing what it means to listen to the land, vintage after vintage.

These are wines with altitude in their bones — elegant, enduring, and shaped by the long light and silence of Central Otago’s far southern hills.