The local sheep farmers, who less than a generation ago had this glorious big-country landscape to themselves, must scratch their heads in wonder. Either that or sell to the winemakers and retire to the Gold Coast.
One who has come the other way, is South Australian winemaker Kim Rayner of Torlesse Wines. Rayner began his winemaking in hometown McLaren Vale before heading to New Zealand and positions with Penfolds and Montana, and then establishing his own winery at Waipara. This is, he suggests, possibly the best grape growing region in New Zealand.
"The valley is not a big area. It's maybe only 20km long but we're protected by the hills from the cold easterlies and the north-facing slopes are a sun-trap. Just outside the valley at Amberley, it can be up to 10 degrees cooler than here in the valley. And within the valley there are distinct areas which give the wines their character," he says.
The diversity of soil types - gravelly deposits on flats in the central and west of the valley, limestone-derived clays on the hillsides to the east, and gravelly loams over alluvial subsoils in the south - are a major turn-on for winemakers.
The day tripper or weekend visitor can go from one cellar door to another just a few minutes' drive away and sample wonderful wines with very different flavour and characteristics in a wine experience similar to Clare Valley in South Australia.
Both Clare and Waipara have targeted riesling as their point of difference and are marketing themselves as specialist areas for this cooler-climate wine which has indeed had a rebirth in popularity.
Rayner has vines planted on the valley floor and the north-facing slopes, and makes wine under both the Torlesse and Omihi Road labels. Air New Zealand took 1000 cases of his 2004 Torlesse lightly oaked chardonnay, and came back for more.
The 2004 Omihi Rd Waipara pinot gris is drinking beautifully, with delicious rich, creamy flavours. The Torlesse label also has a stunning limited-release 2004 sticky riesling which any visitor to the area would do well to grab a bottle of. For red fans, there's merlot and cabernet-merlot, and, my favourite, a full-bodied 2003 Omihi Road pinot noir made with the best fruit grown on heavy clay/loam soils at various sites in the valley.
Around the corner at Mount Cass Vineyards, owner Chris Parker, who is president of Waipara Winegrowers, produces around 20,000 cases in a good year off what was the first commercial vineyard planted in the valley. He gave up chicken farming to make wine and he's seldom looked back.
Mount Cass is a great stop to sample riesling, but buy it while you can. All the 2004 and 2005 riesling has gone to overseas markets, mostly the US. There is still some 2003 riesling at the cellar door and it's drinking well.
There are more than a dozen wineries to trail around in the valley; one you shouldn't miss is Daniel Schuster's, the local winemaking rock star. Schuster is regarded as the godfather of pinot noir in New Zealand, so not surprisingly his Omihi Hills winery sits among nearly three hectares of closely-planted pinot vines with roots reaching deep into the soil to draw up the mineral flavours.
Schuster makes wines under several labels using grapes from partner vineyards, and his 2004 Omihi Hills selection pinot noir is spectacular, with deep colour and real complexity. One of the valley's more colourful characters, Schuster will happily talk to you about his passion for wine and the detail which goes into his winemaking if you catch him with a moment to spare.
For lunch, try the justly-famous Pegasus Bay winery and restaurant on Stockgrove Rd. If it's a weekend or public holiday, phone ahead and book as the spacious restaurant with wooden floors, wall panelling and generous views out to lawns and trees is popular. The ugly 80s-style exterior facing the carpark belies the wonderfully relaxed restaurant which waits within. In the teeth of winter, there's not much which can top a glass of Pegasus Bay pinot while you're sprawled on weathered leather couches in front of a roaring fire awaiting your order. The menu does not disappoint, with mains starting from $27. If there's two or more of you and you can't decide, go for the Pegasus Bay platter which includes such delights as baked French goat's cheese parcel, fresh local fig and prosciutto salad, smoked Akaroa salad and truffled venison carpaccio. Of course, there's wines to match.
For light relief, try the conveniences, the walls of which are covered in wine-related graffiti. It's hard not to agree with sentiments such as this: I'd rather have a full bottle in front of me than a full frontal lobotomy.
