Volcanic Hills wine goes first class on United Airlines

Owners Brent Park (left) and Sean Beer. Photo / Supplied

Rotorua Volcanic Hills is flying high, with one of its wines being served up to first-class airline passengers this year.

The 2015 Volcanic Hills Central Otago Pinot Noir has been selected by leading carrier United Airlines to be served in its first-class cabins in the second quarter of 2017. It went through a rigorous selection process overseen by a master sommelier to make the cut.

Volcanic Hills winery's Sean Beer, left, and Brent Park. Photo/File

World Traveler Imports (Volcanic Hills Winery's US distributor) director William Kolb said the partnership was a perfect fit and would not only add to what United Airlines currently offered, but was a great growth strategy into the 'very hot' US east coast market for this growing brand.

Brent Park, co-owner of Volcanic Hills Winery said: "For us as a winery this has been recognition of what we are producing is right up there with both the New Zealand's and the world's best wine makers. We pride ourselves in producing wines that people really enjoy drinking, even though our vineyards are a fair distance away, we can still produce world class wines.

"This development is a great thing not just for our local business, but for the quality of the entire wine industry being recognised on a world stage."

But it does bring a downside for local customers.

"To tell the truth, we now have extremely limited supplies of the wine left for sale, which will be potentially tough on our regular customers for the year."

Volcanic Hills Winery set up business at the Skyline Rotorua site in late 2012, sourcing grapes from all over New Zealand.

Having also seen success recently with their 2015 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc gold medal, and winning the 2016 Westpac Rotorua Chamber of Commerce Business Award for the best local manufacturer, the vineyard pedigree and quality of the wine production in Rotorua is again being recognised.