At a dinner party a few weeks ago, a couple told me they were planning to travel to New Zealand next summer, and they wanted to know if I had any suggestions about what to see.
Since I have been to New Zealand eight or nine times (I’ve lost count), I can say that wine lovers who do it correctly may have the finest experience with wine they could ever imagine. However, 25 years ago, such a statement would’ve been unthinkable.
The reasons for this boil down to the fact that New Zealand is making some of the world’s most fascinating wines today, but its ascension into the highest levels of quality has only been over the last 20 years or so.
Indeed, on my first visit to New Zealand around 1995, my wife and I could barely find a decent place to eat, even in the little towns just outside of the finest wine regions. Wine and food grew up about the same time; today both are superb.
Touring New Zealand does not require wine, of course. The culture is simply amazing all on its own. But people who love wine and have toured New Zealand tell me what I discovered on my own: It’s a totally interesting place.
On the North Island, the primary location for grape growing is Waiheke Island, where a dozen wineries deliver some most exciting wines. It’s easy getting there from Auckland.
Driving south of Auckland, many people find fascination with the town of Rotorua, home to the Maori cultural center as well as dozens of geothermal eruptions. Sheep shearing trials as well as demonstrations of local sheepdog herders are amazing to watch.
Further south on the North Island are the twin towns of Hastings and Napier, the latter second only to Miami as home to a huge art deco movement that was spawned by a damaging earthquake in 1931.
The nearby wines of Hawke’s Bay are brilliant!
At the southern tip of the North Island lies Wellington, the capital city, just north of which is Martinborough, where dozens of small wineries produce remarkably fine pinot noir, chardonnay, and shiraz.
Wellington is home to a museum, the Te Papa, a cultural experience that’s one of the most fascinating I have ever seen. It explains the remarkable history of the Maori culture and how it has become essential in New Zealand life.
Ferrying across the strait to the South Island, visitors usually visit Marlborough wineries, which gave birth to the greatest wine development in the country’s history, sauvignon blanc. Today, pinot noir flourishes there as well.
Also on the northern tip of the South Island is the small but gorgeous town of Nelson, off to the west, with a laid-back personality and some of the nicest people I’ve ever met! And the wines are sensational.
Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island is a beautiful city situated near several wine country areas. The most famous is Central Otago, where you can try some of the finest chardonnays and pinot noirs.
One of the more important cities in Central Otago is Queenstown, which becomes home to multitudes of skiers during the winter, so if you’re planning to visit New Zealand then, book hotel rooms and restaurant reservations well in advance.
