Babich

The Babich family has its roots in Croatia. Josip, the founder of the estate, emigrated to New Zealand in 1910, when he was only 14 years old, to join his brothers, who dug up and sold the resin of the kauri tree there. After some time, this provided them with enough money to buy a small plot of land that would later become the winery's headquarters. 

It all started with tree resin - Winery Babich

then in 1912 Josip planted the first vine. in 1916 the first wine with the name Babich Brothers was born. It was sold exclusively in barrels. in 1919 the brothers moved into the house they had bought. The years passed, and in 1939 the Second World War began. The Americans used New Zealand as a resort, and so Babich wines became a popular drink for soldiers on furlough. In the following decades, the estate grew steadily, and Josip's sons joined the winemaking business.

Other milestones to date include exports to Europe, which began in the 1980s and made the estate famous beyond New Zealand's borders, and the registration of Fernhill as New Zealand's first sustainable vineyard. Josip's sons Joe and Peter were inducted into the New Zealand Wine Hall of Fame in 2015, as well as Joe being awarded a medal for his service to the wine industry.

Babich's vineyards as far as the eye can see

Today, the family owns vineyards in

• Auckland
• Hawkes Bay
• Marlborough

Thus, the Babich family offers wines from both New Zealand's North and South Islands. 

Wines from the city

The Auckland vineyards are a bit of a rarity. As a result of the growing city, now New Zealand's largest, land prices continued to rise, making viticulture unprofitable, the Babichs still own land near the metropolis. Sandy soils with a clay base dominate the area, where Babich wines have been produced for a hundred years.

The flagship wines of the Babichs

Hawke's Bay, one of New Zealand's most famous viticultural regions, supplies the grapes for the best Babich wines such as Patriarch or Irongate . The comparatively cool climate with nevertheless long, sunny days, provides the ideal climate for slow, optimal grape ripening. More than 20 different soils are found in the region, from loess to pebble soils, river terraces and volcanic rock.

White wine from the north of the south

Most of the family's Sauvignon Blancs come from Marlborough, a region that has become synonymous with these wines from New Zealand. The Babichs own just under 500 hectares of vineyards here, and the clay soils provide the ideal terroir for this world-famous wine.