George Mazuran arrived in New Zealand in 1926, from Croatia, and bought a parcel of land on Lincoln Road, Henderson in 1938 where the first vintage was harvested 4 years later. The difficulties encountered selling his wine post World War II, inspired Mazuran to become an advocate for the sale of wine and initiated his long career as a political lobbyist. His strong conviction for justice saw Mazuran become one of the most successful lobbyists in New Zealand politics and in 1971 he was awarded the OBE for his services to the wine industry. In 2005, Mazuran{s contribution to the New Zealand wine industry was further acknowledged with a place amongst the inaugural inductees into the New Zealand Wine Hall of Fame."The moment you arrive at Mazuran{s 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 Rado and Antony, 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.The Mazuran sherries are made in the off-dry Amontillado style, while there is a full range of Tawny, Ruby and Vintage ports from which to make your selection. If seeking a real treat, you may consider a bottle or two of vintage port from stocks that go back as far as 1942. If the price of these rare wines has you looking for something more recent, you will not be disappointed because all are made to a very high standard.The family is very proud of its success at competitions and will happily explain the origins of the medals and trophies, some of which date back to the mid-1950s. Antony has described Mazuran{s four double-golds at the 2008 San Fransisco International Wine Competition as their own {Olympic medals{.There is pride aplenty at Mazuran{s, but sharing that with visitors and taking them through the fascinating world of fortified wines clearly still brings them great satisfaction".KERRY TYACK - WINE WRITER & JUDGE - CUISINE WINE COUNTRY