A few weeks ago, I received an e-mail from Kerry, a public affairs officer for the New Zealand Embassy here in Washington regarding an article I wrote about an Australian winery. It appears that Kerry is very proud of her native land’s ability to make quality wine, and she was determined to prove it to me.

That is how I recently found myself in the lobby of the Rayburn House Office Building, shaking hands with Roy Ferguson, the New Zealand ambassador to the United States, and his lovely wife, Dawn. I had been persuaded (shanghaied?) by Kerry to attend the relaunch of the New Zealand Wine Caucus on The Hill, where she made it clear that, when it comes to wine making, “the Kiwis have a very competitive spirit.”