95 Years of Winemaking; Babich Family Wines, NZ.

To mark 95 years of winemaking for the Babich family, Babich Wines packaging has received a full makeover and we are now seeing their new-look wines in Australia.

Josip Babich produced his first wine in 1916 when New Zealand’s wine industry was in its infancy.

Today, Babich Wines isone of New Zealand’s most prominent family-run wineries producing 13 different varietals as well as blends. It’s a key player in New Zealand’s well-respected wine industry with a reputation for producing world-class wines enjoyed in more than 35 countries around the world.

Babich Wines’ headquarters and high-tech winery remain at the original West Auckland site. Babich also has 50% share of a Marlborough wine-making facility and owns seven vineyards around New Zealand; all are strategically placed to get the best out of each variety.

Joe Babich, long acclaimed as one of New Zealand’s most talented and respected winemakers and wine judges, originally joined his father and brother Peter in the family business in 1958 as chief winemaker. Today, aged 71, Joe is the managing director of Babich Wines, though still actively involved in the winemaking. His brother Peter is the chairman and Peter’s son David is the general manager and the third generation of the Babich family to join the business.

Joe Babich puts the company’s success down to a number of reasons: “Our winemaking philosophy is to have the right vineyards, in the right regions on superior sites, and getting the right varieties on those superior sites.”

While this may sound fairly logical, it is an evolving process that has taken almost a century of winemaking.

The Babich brand was put on the map in Australia in 1992 when the Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc won the National Australian Wine Show Trophy for best Dry White table wine.