The 2006 vintage was a special one for Babich Wines as it celebrated 90 years of winemaking. This unique experience combined with three generations of Babich family passion for winemaking is what underlies the company’s success.

In 1916 when New Zealand’s wine industry was in its infancy, a Dalmatian immigrant by the name of Josip Babich produced his first wine. 

Ninety years later, Babich Wines is one of New Zealand’s largest family-run wineries with Josip’s sons Peter and Joe and grandson David at the helm. It is a key player in the New Zealand wine industry and a well-recognised global brand exporting over 90 per cent of its wine to 25 countries around the world.

Joe Babich (pictured below) one of New Zealand’s most respected wine makers and wine judges, is today managing director of Babich Wines after more than 40 vintages as its chief winemaker.   

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

Although Babich Wines’ headquarters and high-tech winery remain at the original West Auckland site, Babich also has shares in a Marlborough wine-making facility and owns a number of vineyards around the country strategically placed to get the best out of each variety. They were one of the first companies to discover the now famous wine making region of Gimblett Gravels in Hawkes Bay.  

Babich Wines’ 1985 Irongate Chardonnay, from the Gimblett Gravels region, caused a stir in New Zealand's wine industry and attracted attention from as far away as the UK - very rare for a New Zealand wine at the time. In fact, Babich Irongate wines were at the forefront of a revolution that helped put New Zealand on the world's wine map.

Looking ahead, Joe predicts that further rationalisation will occur within the New Zealand wine industry. However, as the company celebrates 90 years of winemaking Joe Babich is adamant his company will not move away from being a family owned and run winery.

“Winemaking is in the bloodstream and a way of life for us. Some of my earliest memories are playing hide and seek among wine barrels as a young boy with my brother, sisters and cousins. Today, at the age of 65, I still have as much enthusiasm for producing wine as ever before.”

Today the Babich name has far exceeded founder Josip Babich’s original dreams when he first planted grapes as a young man at the beginning of last century. (Josip pictured, left). 

And with the next generation of Babich descendents at the helm, the business continues to grow and thrive. 

Below left: Peter Babich, board chairman. Below right: David Babich, general manager.

Babich Family Time-line

1895: Babich Wines’ founder Josip Babich was born in Dalmatia (part of modern-day Croatia).

1910: Fourteen year-old Josip emigrated to New Zealand to join his brothers who were earning a living by digging and selling kauri gum in New Zealand’s far north. (Pictured right).

1912: Josip planted his first vineyard on the terraces above the Kaikino Swamp gum field.

1916: Josip made his first New Zealand wine, selling it in cask and bottle under the name Babich Brothers.

1919: Josip and his brothers moved to a 24-hectare (72 acre) wilderness property in Henderson Valley (West Auckland) that they had bought in 1911. Initially they established a small orchard and planted classical meunier vines.

1928: He married Mara Grgic and they had five children over the following years.

Today, the task of producing the family's wines has fallen to Adam Hazeldine (below). Adam was appointed winemaker at Babich Wines in mid-2001. He has worked with the company since September 1996, starting out as a cellar-hand before becoming laboratory manager (1999) assistant winemaker (2000) and finally winemaker. 
Adam (NZCS Biology, BAppSc Wine Science) is responsible for overseeing Babich's winemaking, cellar and bottling operations, and heads a team of nine winery staff.

Babich wines recently drew very positive reviews in the prestigious American wine magazine ‘Wine Spectator’. The magazine featured the Babich Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2004 in the Top 5 Best Value Global white wines.  

After seven successful years in Hong Kong - where Babich in recent times been selling one out of every six bottles of New Zealand wines sold - distribution has begun in mainland China.