In October 1995, Queenstowner Craig ‘Ferg’ Ferguson, then a part-time coach driver, had a long session on the wines with fellow driver Mark ‘Horse’ Schultz, whom he’d bump into around the country.
“We had one bottle left and we just couldn’t get through it so I said to Horse, ‘look, I’ll keep this one, the next time I see you we’ll drink it’.”
That never happened.
Ferguson says every few years he’d see the bottle gathering dust then try without success to locate Schultz online.
About 18 months ago, chatting to family about this, the partner of an extended family member boasted, “I can find anybody online”.
She was unsuccessful till Ferguson mentioned Blenheim rang a bell.
“She went and Googled and found [Schultz’s] mother’s death notice with his name in it.
“Then she said, ‘oh, my aunty lives in Blenheim’, and it turns out she lives on the same street so she knocks on his door and says ‘someone’s trying to get hold of you’.”
The old mates caught up by phone and then, this week, in person, along with the undrunk bottle of wine — Schultz was visiting Queenstown before walking the Greenstone Track.
Schultz, 60, tells Ferguson, 67: “I remember you vividly writing [the date] on the label.
“I thought you were going to drink it the next day.”
“I was too ill,” Ferguson quips.
The duo decided they’ll open the Church Road 1993 reserve chardonnay the next time they meet — this time they won’t be waiting 30 years.
— PHILIP CHANDLER