The moment you arrive at Mazurans you realise you have come to a very special place. On one side of the intimate cellar door there are well ordered shelves of sherry and port, while the other is filled with pictures and memorabilia sharing the lives of the Mazuran family which has been making fortified wines in this place for generations.

The sweet smell of port lingers in the air and you know you will not leave without tasting the fruits of their labours. Now run by Rado Hladilo (who was voted Winemaker of the Year at the 2007 San Francisco International Wine Competition) and his sons Antony and Rado. It remains the only New Zealand winery to distill its own grape brandy for fortifying its wines, many of which are made using the juice from grapes planted in 1938.