San Diego’s Dennis Conner, once known throughout Kiwiland as Dirty Dennis, is now something of a folk hero — at the expense of America's Cup defender Team New Zealand.
    The Kiwi sailing team launched a campaign to sell more of those famous red socks popularized by syndicate chief Sir Peter Blake in 1995. The scarlet socks were a good luck charm that helped Black Magic skate past Conner and capture the America's Cup from San Diego Yacht Club.
    But when people plunked down their NZ$9.95 a pair, they were given rain checks. The socks, it seems, had not yet arrived — from Korea.
    Korea? Yep. The red socks would not have "Made in New Zealand" on their labels.
    The citizenry began seeing red and launched a hue and cry on the talk radio shows. How could Blakey and the boys make such a blunder? The politicians, not losing any opportunity to promote themselves, condemned the sailing cabal for not supporting local businesses.
    New Zealand socks cost too much, the sailors retorted.
    But not according to Conner. The red (white and blue) socks for sale in his gift shop are made in New Zealand. They cost a couple bucks more, but they're homegrown. The Kiwi public congratulated him: "Good on ya, mate!"

    Public Shearing
    Just as well. Conner needed to pump up his deflated image after wife Daintry unintentionally became the talk of the Louis Vuitton Ball. As with anything associated with Louis Vuitton — remember the party on the USS Kitty Hawk in 1992? — it was a truly elegant production, with performers floating above the newly refurbished Civic Theatre stage suspended from indiscernible wires. A billowing white spinnaker became the screen upon which the sailing highlights were shown.
    The grand finale, however, was all New Zealand. Two sheep were sheared on stage — much to the disdain of Mrs. Conner, who cried out for it to stop. The barbaric behavior was cruel and inhumane, she insisted.
    Apparently she doesn’t know where the wool in her sweaters comes from. It seems she thought they were turning the lambs into chops.

    Seeing Red — Wine, That Is
    Most New Zealand visitors arrive in Auckland and turn south. Their loss. They are missing out on a delightful trip to Northland, New Zealand's most northern province. It’s a popular getaway for Aucklanders — who would no doubt prefer to keep it to themselves. But I’ll let you in on their secret.
    Between rounds of the America's Cup competition, I managed to sandwich in a wee trip to the Bay of Islands, 145 miles north of Auckland, to see its natural beauty, as well as the historical sites at Waitangi and Russell — and to do a bit of wine tasting.
    New Zealand is world-renowned for its sauvignon blanc. But there also are some very nice red wines, particularly cabernet sauvignon/merlot blends, coming up from Down Under.
    One of the wineries making this delightful palate pleaser is the Cottle Creek Winery in Kerikeri, upriver from the Bay of Islands. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the winery is owned by a San Diego couple, Mike and Barbara Webb, who sailed to New Zealand on their 35-foot sailboat Sprig — and never left.
    His dream was to cruise the South Pacific for two years. Her dream was to make handcrafted wines. They both got their wish. While their boat bobs in the harbor at nearby Opua, they are crushing grapes on Cottle Hill, which has a volcanic soil well suited for grape growing.
    "Why New Zealand?" I naively inquired.
    Mike Webb looked at me as if I were a complete moron. "You’re joking, right?"
    Well, yes and no. As a journalist I have to ask the obvious.
    Aside from the polite people, the rural setting and a crime rate that makes Coronado look like a war zone, it was the bottom line that mattered. Their nest egg in any wine growing region in California wouldn't have bought them enough vines for a decent amount of home brew, let alone a commercial winery.
    In New Zealand a greenback is worth almost two Kiwi dollars and farmland is sold at comparatively bargain prices. They've been king and queen of Cottle Hill since 1996. And they make some princely wines.
    The most common red in New Zealand is a vintage cabernet sauvignon/merlot blend. Consensus has it that 1998 was the best year ever for New Zealand reds; 1997 was not half bad either.
    The Cottle Hill '97 cab/merlot is a pleasure to the palate. It leaves a peppery aftertaste that grabs your tongue and won’t let go. You just want more. The '98 wasn’t bottled yet. I expect it will be even better.
    Unfortunately, you won’t find this or any other of their scrumptious wines, which range from semillon to tawny port, in San Diego. Making just 2,000 cases a year, there's not enough to go around as it is. They sell it all from the winery, which is also their home — their living quarters are upstairs. If you stop by, bring a lunch and dine on the hillside patio, overlooking one of the vineyards.
    If you don’t want to drive to the Bay of Islands from Auckland, you can fly to Kerikeri and rent a car. Make your base Paihia, a resort community on the north shore, just west of the Waitangi Historical Reserve, where New Zealand's declaration of independence was signed in 1840.
    Motels, lodges and B&Bs abound. The cliffside golf course rivals Torrey Pines, and there's no shortage of good eateries. Explore the bay by boat, swim with the dolphins, go sailing, or take the foot ferry to charming Russell, New Zealand's first capital.

Larry M. Edwards is a San Diego journalist in New Zealand working on the official America's Cup Web site, www.americascup.org. While there, he has promised to regularly send New Zealand Notes.