Today was one of those awesome days that suddenly makes you allergic to waiting in line, paying full price, eating what is on the menu, etc.  Today, Rus and I went V.I.P. wine tasting with our flatmate, Christian.  Christian, 25, has studied viticulture in Vienna in his home country, Austria.  He works as a server at Saggio di Vino, which is arguably one of the best restaurants in Christchurch - just around the corner from our house.  An aspiring vintner and sommelier, he spends his free time rubbing elbows and tasting wines with the world’s finest. So when he said he was going wine tasting, we were happy to invite ourselves to tag along :)

Christian called ahead to the Pegasus Bay vineyard in Waipara, about 50km (30 miles) north of Christchurch, to schedule a tasting.  The drive out to Waipara was emblematic of the scenic beauty we see in New Zealand.  Within a blink of an eye of leaving the city limits, we were treated with a vast rural flat landscapes stretching on to dramatic hills covered in tall, dry grasses…and sheep.  We saw more sheep, alpaca, deer, and cows than we could dream of counting - all happily chomping away in the chilly summer air (Rus thought aloud that he’d like to mountain bike down one of those awesome hills; I just wondered what it would look like from up there.  Okay, mountain biking down one sounds fun too!).

Pegasus Bay is unassuming; the sign marking its place could easily be confused with one advertising a small farmer’s roadside vegetable stand.  A short drive down the unpaved road, and we were greeted with a lovely old home surrounded by lush gardens and well-appointed hardscape.  Christian told us that Pegasus Bay winery, one of Waipara’s largest commercial ones, started with the owner simply wanting to put his three lazy children to work; one was responsible for reds, one for whites, and one for the on-site restaurant.  The building itself has lots of character: hardwood floors, stained glass windows, and decorative trim that is hard to find nowadays.  Once inside, we were greeted warmly by our hostess, a German expatriot, who vacationed in New Zealand frequently before deciding to move here permanently 19 years ago.

We tasted eight different wines, starting with the wine that boosted New Zealand wines onto the world stage - Sauvignon Blanc.  After that came a beautiful Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blend, Dry Reisling, Sweet Reisling, and Chardonnay.  Then came the reds - Pinot Noir, Merlot/Cabernet blend, and one that was apparently so good, I can’t remember! (wink)

All of that wine-tasting worked up an appetite, and we opted for a fabulous lunch of caprese salad, ciabatta and olive oil, and a glorious seafood chowder in the winery’s restaurant.  The food was excellent, and this was the first time since we arrived in New Zealand that I ate buffalo mozzarella (as you may already know, I consider fresh mozzarella a food group!).  Once finished, we were allowed a very brief tour of the fermentation warehouse, and then it was off to Winery #2 (evidently, Christian had us on a tight schedule).

Another drive literally over the river and through the woods (and in and out of arguably the smallest town I’ve ever seen), a near-missed left hand turn and screeching brakes, and we arrived at Pyramid Valley Vineyards.  Hidden off a lonely (self-named) road less traveled, this obscure vineyard - barely distinguishable by the half-barrel sign that read “Pyramid Valley Vineyards, Open By Appointment Only” - looked more like a antique shop than a winery worthy of Christian’s discriminating acclaim.  Alas, appearances can be deceiving, as we were greeted by the vintner himself, Mr. Mike Weersing.

Mike looks to be in his early-40s, with bright blue eyes and an already-white head of closely cropped hair.  Dressed in cargo shorts and a plaid button-down covered with a heavy wool sweater (yay Summer!),  he immediately suggested we jump in the truck and go see the vines.  You can see a video of Mike describing his land here. Pyramid Valley is interesting; Mike grows Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on site, and leases vines of different varieties in Marlborough, New Zealand’s largest wine-making region (have no fear, dear readers, Rus and I will definitely be visiting this part of the country soon!).  He drove us to the top of one of those magnificent hills I had wondered just moments ago what it would be like to look out from.  It was cold, barely breaking 60F, and my 2″ sandals were no match for the foot-tall grasses.  Mike was telling us about how he chose the spot to start his vineyard, the composition of the soil, about the weather, the birds, etc. - all very interesting!  The brisk wind, however, kept his lesson from atop the hill short; we got back in the truck and drove back down the hill to the small tasting room.

We tasted several lovely wines (mostly whites), but for me the most memorable part of the afternoon was listening to Mike.  I have gone wine-tasting before and learned a lot about how it tastes, what food it should be paired with, etc.  On the other hand, it is a truly rare opportunity indeed to experience any product with its producer, while surveying the beautiful land on which its grown, and listening to him describe how and why it was made the way it was made.  Pyramid Valley Vineyards clearly has a lot of passion and a lot of love there - for wine, for nature, for New Zealand.  I found the day exhilirating and soul-quenching in a way that is hard to put into words.

After this special adventure, it is surely going to make all other wine-tasting pale in comparison.

*A special thanks to Christian Esser for allowing us to share this wonderful experience with him (and for driving)!