One of the most beautiful and unusual wineries I’ve ever visited is located about an hour’s drive north of Auckland, New Zealand. Richard and Christine Didsbury own Brick Bay Vineyard, establishing the vines in 1996 and producing some lovely wines strictly from their own grapes. We had met Richard earlier on the day we visited the winery, as he is one of the driving forces behind the village of Matakana and its well-known Farmers Market. The winery and its unique sculpture trail seem to be Christine’s special loves, and she was our gracious and knowledgeable hostess on our afternoon visit there. One approaches Brick Bay’s tasting room dropping from the thoroughfare stretched along a hilly crest down over rolling pastureland which spills eventually into the bay and sea. Tucked into a fold in the hills about halfway down is The Glass House, the winery’s three-year-old tasting room, an elegant, one-story, all-glass building cantilevered over a small lake and its outflowing creek. We arrived as a light rain dimpled the waters of the lake, breaking up the colorful reflections of the autumn-tinged vines which climb a slope beyond. Geese and swans floated peacefully on the surface amid still-flowering water lilies. There was a timeless quality to the scene — vaguely recalling a Japanese garden while feeling very modern as well. Joining the natural beauty were a number of sculptures scattered along the shore of the lake and even positioned on the water itself. These were just a few of the installations which make up the Brick Bay Sculpture Trail. Christine’s long-time passion for sculpture was the impetus for the 2-kilometer trail, which includes nearly 50 pieces of art selected by a curatorial panel. The Brick Bay Sculpture Trust administers surplus revenue from the operation of the trail, making funds available to artists who otherwise could not afford the expense of creating or installing works of a scale for such an outdoor exhibition. Intermittent but sometimes heavy showers prevented us from being able to walk the entire trail, but quick forays in a number of directions exposed us to the variety of both the terrain the trail covers (alongside lakes, swamps, vineyards and native bush) and the mediums and forms of the pieces exhibited. I found it a brilliant and delightful venue in which the Didsburys provide invaluable exposure for New Zealand artists. We also took time to sit down and sample a few Brick Bay wines, accompanied by vineyard platters boasting local cheeses, sausages and cured meats, fruit, vegetables,  pates and remoulades. The winery’s fairly small production means one can generally find it’s wines only at a limited number of fine restaurants in New Zealand, but tastes of the 2009 Pinot Gris and Pharos, a premium red blend from 2005, showed the artistry applied to their development. I hope to return to New Zealand some day, and Brick Bay Vineyard is on my list of places I’d revisit. And rain or not, next time I’ll be sure to take in the entire Sculpture Trail and its lovely views — both natural and man-made. — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor