(Nationalpost) - When one considers the optimal winemaking terroir, or the unique qualities of the environment that influence the wine it produces, a coral atoll in the middle of the Pacific Ocean doesn’t normally come to mind. Yet, here I am on Rangiroa, French Polynesia’s largest atoll, tasting a lovely glass of Vin de Tahiti blanc de corail produced on a nearby motu (islet) by Domaine Dominique Auroy, an award-winning winery. With more than 800 species of fish, plus lagoons, reefs and ocean surrounding it, French Polynesia’s 118 islands teem with amazing subaquatic sights. Surrounding me is the Tuamotu Archipelago, a string of more than 100 islands and atolls scattered over an area the size of Europe. Serving me the wine is the Paul Gauguin of vintners, perhaps the only man in the world who routinely turns coral into wine. 40,000 bottles annually, to be precise.