Vineyards are distributed among the sub-regions of Waipara, north of the city of Christchurch; the plains around the city, and Banks Peninsula to the east. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir (the two most widely planted), Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc have all produced top quality wines, and Bob Campbell in his 2001 Cuisine Wine Annual proclaims the region as having the most potential in New Zealand. The Canterbury region is New Zealand's fourth-largest by planting.

With the Southern Alps close and extensive river systems bringing material down to the plains, it isn't surprising that alluvial loams over gravel feature widely, along with chalk and limestone in Waipara. The mountains were created by the convergence of the Indian-Australian and the massive Pacific tectonic plates and provide shelter from the prevailing weather. The resulting low rainfall and long sunshine hours coupled with a cool climate once again create excellent growing conditions. Waipara is a little warmer than the rest of the region, benefitting from further shelter from coastal influence to the east. Top producers: Daniel Schuster, Geisen, Kaituna Valley, Muddy Water, Mountford, Pegasus Bay.