Babich

The Babich family has its roots in Croatia. Josip, the founder of the estate, emigrated to New Zealand in 1910 at the age of just 14 to join his brothers, who were digging up and selling the resin of the kauri tree there. After some time, this earned them enough money to buy a small piece of land, which would later become the headquarters of the winery. 

It began with tree resin – Babich Winery

In 1912, Josip planted the first vine. By 1916 the time had come, and the first wine bearing the name Babich Brothers was born. It was sold exclusively in barrels. In 1919 the brothers moved into the house they had acquired. The years passed, and in 1939 the Second World War began. The Americans used New Zealand as a place for rest and recreation, and thus Babich wines became a popular drink for soldiers on leave from the front. In the following decades, the estate grew steadily, and Josip’s sons joined the winemaking business.

Further milestones up to the present day 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, and Joe was also awarded an order for his services to the wine industry.

Babich’s vineyards as far as the eye can see

Today the family owns vineyards in

• Auckland
• Hawke's 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 small rarity, as land prices kept rising due to the growth of what is now New Zealand’s largest city and made viticulture unprofitable, yet the Babich family still owns land near the metropolis. Sandy soils with clay subsoil dominate the area, where Babich wines have been produced for a hundred years.

The Babich flagships

Hawke's Bay, one of New Zealand’s most famous wine-growing regions, provides the grapes for the finest Babich wines such as Patriarch or Irongate. The comparatively cool climate with nonetheless long, sunny days offers the ideal conditions for slow, optimal ripening of the grapes. More than 20 different soil types are found in the region, from loess to gravel soils, river terraces and volcanic rock.

White wine from the north of the south

The family’s Sauvignon Blancs mostly come from Marlborough, a region that has since become almost synonymous with these New Zealand wines. The Babich family owns nearly 500 hectares of vineyards here, and the clay soils provide the optimal terroir for this world-famous wine.