Growing up on a Taranaki dairy farm, Nina Downer was accustomed to the isolated and repetitive nature of her parents’ work, milking at dawn 365 days of the year.

Kinross on the outskirts of Queenstown has been judged as having the country's best cellar door experience. The Gibbston Valley winery has taken out the first-ever Qualmark New Zealand Wine Tourism Award. Kinross chief executive Nicky Sygrove says she is proud of her team's efforts to secure such recognition. "Providing a world-class guest experience is at the core of everything we do," she says.