Dr. Johnson, I presume ... a chance encounter in Queenstown, New Zealand

New Zealand has been short on rain but today it is 'The Land of the Long WET Cloud'. Here in Queenstown, Central Otago, up in the mountains of South Island, the far lake shore has vanished and the mountains they call 'The Remarkables' have become 'The Invisibles'. Flying in up the valley today would be mighty hazardous. And the second most popular pursuit here; bungee-jumping will be interesting!

Luckily we are not here to jump off bridges but to dive into wine. And a big tasting of a choice pick of the local wonder-wines has been laid on. Not for me. Though I shall benefit. But for the man many wine producers here and everywhere, consider a god; Hugh Johnson.

Hugh and Judy are here. And I am here. Its not often our paths have crossed in the 34 years we have been working together. Apart from his writings Hugh has been President of The Sunday Times Wine Club since we set it up in 1973. So we taste and talk together a lot. But to bump into each other on our separate orbits is rare.

12.00 Arrowtown is an old mining village somewhat changed from its gold-mining days;
I doubt those old C19 miners were really into ceramics, jewellery, watercolours, and tea rooms. Things move on. I have great friends here; David and Barbara Thomas. David is the Australian (very) who came to me in '81 and said he liked my wine business so much he'd like to copy it. And did. So bloody successfully we had to completely re-think our business and work like maniacs just to compete. But we are still huge mates and luckily for me he’s retired.

The Post Master's House is the best restaurant for miles around so funnily enough that's where David has arranged this tasting and where we meet Hugh and Judy just in from Fjord-land or Middle Earth as its sometimes now called. At 45 degrees south (Same as Bordeaux in the north) this is the world’s southernmost wine region. It is also the wine world’s newest star. Having shot to fame only in the late 90's. I don’t know of any other region that from the start sold its wines for £17 a bottle. And could not keep up with demand.

Not bad for a region where almost all experts agreed wine production could never happen. The New Zealand government were kind enough to give me a guided tour of all their vineyards in 1984. Central Otago wasn't on the tour. It wasn’t even mentioned.

Isn't it wonderful when a few crazies confound 'the experts'? Makes life worth living. Last time I was here in 2001 it had barely started and the majority of the vineyards were so young they hadn't yet fruited. Alan Brady is the region’s elder statesman. One who confounded the experts. So he gave the speech of welcome.

Nick Mills of Rippon was also there. It was his late father planted the first wines here in '74. A lakeside vineyard so beautiful you've probably seen photos of it. Austrian Kiwi Rudi Bauer was also there and Blair Walter of Felton Road who set up the event ... And has been hugely successful. We can’t get enough. We sampled Rieslings, Pinot Gris, Chardonnays and of course lots of Pinot Noir. I’m not putting all my notes here suffice to say all had the piercing mineral fruit aromas which the schist soils up here seem to produce so effortlessly with the help of a climate that produces not only the coldest recorded nights in New Zealand but also the hottest days. High diurnal temperature ... very important if you want fruitiness, that. Hugh was so impressed that he promised, in the next edition of his Wine Atlas, that C.O. will get its own page. Central Otago, you have arrived!