<p><em>&lsquo;You may think you know New Zealand wines but I can assure you that <strong>until you have tasted Pyramid Valley, you have no idea.</strong> When I first sampled the earliest releases from this left-of-center producer, I was so drawn to the signature, ground-breaking if, at that time, not altogether flawless wines that I vowed to pay them a visit as soon as possible (which, given their location, is easier said than done). There was a spark of &ldquo;otherness&rdquo; about the wines that was so unlike anything else in New Zealand, it was difficult to say if proprietors Mike and Claudia Weersing were geniuses or mad or mad geniuses. I&rsquo;m still kinda thinking there&rsquo;s an element of the latter going on here but at least my first visit in 2011 and follow-up visit this year have confirmed to me that they are most definitely wine geniuses. Having searched New Zealand for their ideal plot of land to produce Pinot Noir and

<p><span>Founded in 1978 as a joint venture between Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Ch&acirc;teau Mouton-Rothschild in Bordeaux and Robert Mondavi in the Napa Valley. The wine was formerly called napamedoc, the wine and the winery were named Opus One in 1982. 1979 was the first vintage, released in 1984.</span></p> <p>The Opus One vineyards are made up of four parcels. Two sit in the western portion of the American Viticultural Area, or AVA, of Oakville&ndash;a subregion of Napa Valley. Two of the parcels&mdash;totalling 100 acres&mdash;are situated in the storied vineyard of To-Kalon, meaning &lsquo;the place of highest beauty. There are two more parcels&mdash;Ballestra and River&mdash;that add up to 70 acres.</p>

<p><b>XANADU</b></p> John Lagan and family established Xanadu in the 1977 naming the property after Samuel Coleridge’s epic Kubla Khan or a Vision in a Dream. During the mid-1980s and 1990s Xanadu created a strong following for its muscular but energetic wines. After a brief interlude as a public company, it is now once more in private hands as part of the Rathbone Wine group. The Rathbone family has instigated a complete revitalisation of vineyard and wine making practise including lowering yields and optimising regional nuance. The 85 ha property is farmed along low input/organic lines and winemaking follows a minimal-intervention philosophy. Under winemaker Glenn Goodall, Xanadu is enjoying a major renaissance.

<p><b>Stella Bella</b></p> Stella Bella is a small, privately owned boutique wine producer located in Margaret River, Western Australia. The company has 90 ha of vineyard holdings, producing an array of wines from its winery in Karridale. A focus on wine quality and regional expression together with smart packaging has ensured Stella Bella has quickly become a highly respected Margaret River producer. Alongside the Skuttlebutt and Stella Bella range, the company also produces two premium ranges; Suckfizzle and Serie Luminosa.