Did you know that Rotorua has its very own winery?
After living and working around New Zealand and the world – including winemaking stints in South Africa, USA, Australia and France – vintner Brent Park said it made sense to consider coming back to his hometown when looking for a home for Volcanic Hills Winery.
It made no difference that Rotorua had no grapes!
Brent says, “We are often asked why we are here. By being where the people are, in terms of visitors, means we have brought the wine to the people, often saving a long drive to traditional wine regions. This allows us also to pick and choose where our grapes come from, not restricting us to the loyalty of one region.”
He and wife Larissa started up the boutique winery in 2009, eventually shifting to purpose-built facilities at the base of Mt Ngongotahā in 2013. The year before, they opened the Tasting Room just up the mountain at the top of Skyline Rotorua, where a Gondola ride up the mountain, and wide sweeping views over Lake Rotorua and the city from the Tasting Room set wine tasters up for the total package.
It’s in this relaxed and a welcoming environment where Brent or Larissa will help you find your own wine style. They’re not about fancy wine lingo; they prefer to inspire people to be themselves and discover what they like and why.
A little over a year ago, Volcanic Hills was featured in Australian TV series Delish Destinations. Check out why Trevor Cochrane called the winery “a totally unexpected world-class wine experience” in the clip below.
