Legendary winemaker with Cloudy Bay, Kevin Judd, is heading towards his 25th and last vintage with the company.

After concluding his milestone 2009 vintage – Judd will become consulting winemaker for Cloudy Bay, allowing what the company describes as a smooth transition - providing Ian Morden, Cloudy Bay’s estate director, with the benefit of his guidance and expertise on winemaking and viticulture matters during the 2009 vintage.

Kevin’s involvement with the company will continue until July 2009 when he will leave to establish his own wine label – reported to be Greywacke - and to further develop his flourishing photography business.

Cloudy Bay says its winemaking team of Eveline Fraser (pictured, left) Nicholas Lane and Tim Heath are well qualified to sustain Cloudy Bay’s winemaking success, while continuing to develop the wines in new directions.

Fraser, who has been a winemaker with Cloudy Bay since 2001, will continue to lead the team as senior winemaker.

Rob Remnant, regional vice-president, Estates & Wines Asia Pacific, Australia and NZ says Kevin Judd’s contribution in taking both Cloudy Bay and Marlborough to the world has been immense and he is enormously respected internationally for that.

“We are very grateful to have had the benefit of his experience and expertise for 25 years and have every confidence that our winemaking team under the leadership of Eveline Fraser will continue the success pioneered by Kevin and David Hohnen.
Ian Morden, estate director, Cloudy Bay says he has appreciated Kevin’s “wisdom and counsel” a great deal.

“He knows all aspects of the business and the Marlborough wine landscape in minute detail. We will miss him as a team, but know that he will not be far away – and still very much part of the Marlborough winemaking community.”

Judd has been with Cloudy Bay since its inception in 1985 and together with David Hohnen was responsible for developing the unique Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc style.
As he looks towards his departure from the company Judd says when he was offered the winemaking role with Cloudy Bay back in 1984 there was no vineyard, no winery and no name."

“Things could only progress - and they certainly did. It is with great pride that I hand over the baton to the Cloudy Bay team and with immense thanks to David Hohnen for the opportunity to be a part of the Cloudy Bay story. It has been a very rewarding, unique and thoroughly enjoyable journey.”