Fizzing it up in Gisborne

Gisborne on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island was the third stop on my recent trip to this country that has been imaginatively likened  to a pencil in the ocean, following on from the Pinot Noir event in Queenstown, Central Otago, and the Sauvignon Blanc celebration in Marlborough, of which more later. 

The 24-hour event focusing on fizz and Chardonnay, organised jointly by New Zealand Winegrowers and the Gisborne Winegrowers’ Society, was the first of its kind and gave the often overlooked region of Gisborne a day in the spotlight – as well as demonstrating that New Zealand is...