PURE POURS | Central Otago NZ Wine Festival - SYDNEY

This spring, the CBD’s unofficial cellar door is going international. Step into the world of Central Otago wines at The Wine Bar’s very first New Zealand wine festival, Pure Pours: Central Otago NZ.

On Saturday 25 October, The Wine Bar’s sun-drenched plaza will transform into a slice of New Zealand’s South Island, featuring 17 of Central Otago’s most exciting producers pouring their wines and sharing their stories. 

Think crisp mountain air, dramatic alpine landscapes, and Pinot Noirs considered among the very best in the world, all brought to life in Sydney at the CBD’s unofficial cellar door for one sun-drenched afternoon only.

Your ticket unlocks a roaming tasting festival where you can sip, swirl, and compare drops from across the region – bright aromatic whites, textured Chardonnays, méthode traditionnelle sparklings, and of course, the bold, perfumed Pinot Noirs that have put Central Otago on the global stage. 

Taste wines from some of the most established Central Otago wineries: chat with the team from Quartz Reef, who are still hand-riddling and disgorging every bottle of their acclaimed méthode traditionnelle sparkling; hear how the Mills family at Rippon have been farming their Lake Wānaka estate for over a century; discover how Nockie’s Palette fuses fine art and fine wine into “liquid masterpieces”; or learn why Nanny Goat Vineyard takes its name from the nimble wild goats of Central Otago’s rugged terrain. 

Along the way, you’ll meet the people behind the pours… Like James Dicey, the larger-than-life viticulturist whose straight-talking style has shaped some of Central Otago’s most expressive vineyards. Share a glass with Paul Pujol of Prophet’s Rock, a winemaker with a poetic streak and a Burgundian sensibility who’s known for bringing elegance and patience to every vintage. Hear from Nick Mills, whose family has tended the land at Rippon for over a century, and whose vision for biodynamics has made the estate one of New Zealand’s most iconic. Or chat with Claire Mulholland of Burn Cottage, a pioneer of biodynamic Pinot Noir, blending science, instinct, and a touch of serendipity. Each winemaker brings a story as distinctive as the wines they’ll be pouring.

Taste the breadth of New Zealand winemaking in one place, in one afternoon. Pair your sips with The Wine Bar’s sunny plaza, delicious snacks, tunes, and atmosphere, and you’ve got yourself the ultimate spring Saturday session.