I’m in a minibus, hurtling around the Hawke’s Bay wine region in New Zealand’s north island with a handful of other wine writers from across the world. Our driver is Gordon Russell, renowned winemaker for many decades at venerable local winery Esk Valley; he retired a couple of years ago and now runs a wine consulting and touring business.

Russell’s a celebrity in Hawke’s Bay wine circles, full of energy and anecdotes: it feels a bit like having Tom Hanks driving you around the Hollywood Hills, or Paul McCartney leading a tour of Liverpool.