For those who don’t know, I normally reside on an island called Waiheke. Due to a barrier of water between itself and the “mainland”, the island climate & temperature lends itself well to grapes. So I’m clearly not new to vineyards (also have you landed at Blenheim airport?).

But winding my way down into a valley that follows the Rhine, you’re greeted with what at first looks like rolling grass fields but turns out to be more vines than I care to imagine. Someones putting in the hard yards across the hilltops!