When I lived in Western Pennsylvania several years ago, I remembered the “Wild and Wonderful West Virginia” signs that would greet me at the Pa/W.Va state line. I had not really thought about those signs for quite a while… That is until I recently visited New Zealand. That slogan, then, took on a whole new meaning to me. Wild and Wonderful New Zealand. Yes, that sums up my impression of this geological wonder, a strikingly beautiful South Pacific nation of 4.5 million people and 40 million sheep!
Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Wonderland, near Rotorua, North Island
New Zealand has 10 wine regions, with 6 on the North Island and 4 on the South Island. They range from the sub-tropical Northland, at 35° S, a comparable latitude to Paso Robles, Ca. in the Northern Hemisphere, to the continental climate of Central Otago, the world’s most southerly wine region at approximately 46° S, a comparable latitude to the Walla Walla, Wa. and Northern Rhône (France) wine regions in the Northern Hemisphere.
