Above: Vineyards at Villa Maria in Marlborough, South Island

One of the considerable pleasures of travel in New Zealand is the chance to try some of the country’s admirable wines. The first wine was made in 1839 by a Scotsman named James Busby. In the ensuing years, little of note happened. A vigorous temperance movement put a damper on most ventures. It wasn’t until the 1960s that wine could be sold in restaurants by the bottle, and then only until 10 p.m.

Join Andrew Harper today to continue reading our exclusive content.