New Zealand Christmas would not be complete without Ōamaru’s famed Jersey Benne potatoes, nurtured in the volcanic soils that render our produce among the tastiest in the country. Restaurants like Fleurs Place at Moeraki, Riverstone Kitchen on the Waitaki Plains and Ōamaru’s Pen-y-bryn have staked their reputations on the high quality of our local produce, and have earned national and international acclaim. The wineries of the Waitaki Valley have developed their reputation on the basis of our limestone rich soils, which have bestowed on their wines a character considered unique in New Zealand. This has led to the region being promoted as “the Burgundy of the South”. Several of these wineries have established popular tasting rooms on or near their vineyards.