Volcanic wine tasting with John Szabo MS
Volcanic wines are hot, literally. It’s no secret that Mount Etna in Sicily, the Canary Islands and the Yamanashi region in near Mount Fuji are all home to some of the world’s most diverse and exciting wines, which is why one of the leading authorities on volcanic wines is coming to New Zealand to host tastings on Saturday 28 July and Sunday 29 July.
Master Sommelier John Szabo will lead two tastings on volcanic wines at the New Zealand School of Food & Wine’s annual W&F Celebration, part of Auckland’s new Elemental Festival.
He was the first Canadian to add the letters MS (Master Sommelier) to his name, in 2004, and has since written Volcanic Wines, Salt Grit and Power - a book about volcanic wine regions.
Auckland is a fitting city to host Szabo since the greater Auckland region’s volcanic field has at least 52 volcanoes. The city’s scoria cones range from 10 to 120 meters in height, contributing an unexplored aspect to Auckland’s wine terroir.
“The question is how we can enhance the reputations of wines grown in the Auckland region given most of this region’s wineries are on volcanically derived sedimentary rock,” says Celia Hay of the NZ School of Food & Wine.
Szabo will speak at the school’s annual Wine & Food Celebration on Saturday 27July and Sunday 28 July in Central Auckland.
For more information and to arrange an interview with John contact:
Celia Hay
celia@foodandwine.co.nz
021 981 947
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Poll: Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝
In The Post’s opinion piece on the developments set to open across Aotearoa in 2026, John Coop suggests that, as a nation, we’re “allergic to exuberance.”
We want to know: Are we really allergic to showing our excitement?
Is it time to lean into a more optimistic view of the place we call home? As big projects take shape and new opportunities emerge, perhaps it’s worth asking whether a little more confidence (and enthusiasm!) could do us some good.
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41.7% Yes
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33.5% Maybe?
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24.8% No
Some Choice News!
Many New Zealand gardens aren’t seeing as many monarch butterflies fluttering around their swan plants and flower beds these days — the hungry Asian paper wasp has been taking its toll.
Thanks to people like Alan Baldick, who’s made it his mission to protect the monarch, his neighbours still get to enjoy these beautiful butterflies in their own backyards.
Thinking about planting something to invite more butterflies, bees, and birds into your garden?
Thanks for your mahi, Alan! We hope this brings a smile!
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