New Zealand: A Wine Masterclass

New Zealand shouldn’t make wine this good. It’s a speck of islands at the far edge of the Pacific, where sheep once outnumbered people twenty to one. Yet from this improbable place come some of the most distinctive wines on earth.

We’ll start in Marlborough, where Sauvignon Blanc turned the world upside down with its electric snap of lime, passion fruit, and gooseberry. Then head south to Central Otago, where Pinot Noir clings to mountainsides and tastes like Burgundy after a hike through Middle-earth. From there, we’ll travel to Hawke’s Bay, home of elegant Syrah and Bordeaux-style reds that show how refined New Zealand can be when it’s not trying to shock your palate awake.

Along the way, we’ll talk about volcanic soils, wild weather, and winemakers who refuse to play it safe. These are wines born from isolation, ambition, and a healthy disrespect for tradition. Come taste how the world’s youngest wine country became one of its most exciting.