NEW ZEALAND REPORT #1 :: It is unusual to find a winery and tasting room coexisting with a collection of amusement-park-style rides.  But sharing resources makes a certain amount of sense for the Volcanic Hills Winery.

"It's really expensive to build one's own gondola," quipped Callum, our tasting room host. Indeed the winery does business at the top and bottom of Rotorua's Skyline gondola ride on New Zealand's north island.  The winery is located at the amusement park's entry and, nearly 3000 feet above, the tasting room offers expansive views of the town and lake.  We expected an experience targeting tourists. Instead, we encountered a generous flight of excellent wines that showcased fruit sourced from some of the nation's best wine regions.

Brent Park is the winemaking mind behind this venture and the visit included a lively and enlightening conversation with him.  After having worked in wine production around the world, Volcanic Hills is his passion project since 2013 with an annual production of fewer than 10,000 cases.  As the following tasting list shows, Brent takes advantage of a career that has given him access to the whole country's regions and growers. 

What a spectacular "survey" to begin exploring New Zealand's wine culture. 

Wines tasted:

Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 2017
Pinot Gris, 2016
Chardonnay, Gisborne 2016
Pinot Noir, single vineyard, Central Otago 2016
Rosé of Pinot Noir, Wairarapa 2017