World events to be missed -- The Gisborne, New Zealand Wine and Food Festival

October 26, 3:32 PMInternational Wine ExaminerKevin Lynch

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Waiter, there's a cloud in my wine. The collector's wine glass of the Gisborne Food & Wine festival

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Gisborne, New Zealand --There are some things in this world that you don't need to see. Things like, the inside of a maximum security prison cell. Your hand in a lawn mower. The view from the driver's seat as the car goes over the cliff. To this list of need-not sees you can add the Gisborne Food & Wine Festival. Unless of course you like spending your day in the company of 4,000 of the world's most erratic and inebriated people ever willfully assembled in the same place.

Gisborne is a town of about 46,000 people on the shores of the Pacific, eastern side of the North Island in New Zealand. It is literally the first city in the world to see the sunrise every morning -- given its nearness to the International Dateline. Beyond that there isn't much to lay claim to. In fairness it is a charming little town and the residents who don't attend festivals are really nice. 

For thirteen years the city of Gisborne has hosted this free-for-all boozefest. The purchase of a NZ$50 to $60 ticket gets you a souvenir glass, a lanyard to hold this glass around your neck, transportation between the vineyards, live music and bottles of wine at a deep discount. Festival organizers have come up with this motto to deter revelers from abusing the drink: "Show us your class and drink from a glass."  Never has there been a less effective reminder. Locals call this chaotic affair the: "Gisborne Wine & Wine Festival" or that place where, "People go to drink wine like beer."

Take a moment to view the accompanying slide show to get a glimpse of the goings-on at this years' Gisborne Food & Wine Festival. Warning: The following slide show contains utterly tame footage of people making complete asses of themselves.

(If you enjoyed this article please visit Native Food & Wine.)