TWO PADDOCKS

Does an A-list actor make A-list wines? In this case, yes. Central Otago’s Two Paddocks winery is neither the oldest nor the largest in the region, but it seems that there is never enough of their product to satisfy the many aficionados.

One senses immediately that this enterprise means more to its owner, Sam Neill, than just finding something to do during the Interval. What began merely as a mild urge to provide family and friends with a reasonably decent quaffer has evolved into an overriding desire to create the world’s best Pinot Noir. Aim high, we say.

Dean Shaw

One of New Zealand's top winemakers, Dean very nearly had a career in the S.A.S.! Well, not really, we just made that up. The S.A.S. bit. See more about the hirsute and encyclopedically knowledgeable Dean in the Winemaker section.