A toast to 100 years in the west
‘‘There is something special about the taste and texture of a good Pinot Noir. It is one of my favourite wines. Although, I must say chardonnay is pretty nice too.’’
Earlier this month, Babich Wines’ managing director Joe Babich was one of two men to be inducted into the BNZ West Auckland Business Hall of Fame. His Henderson Valley office has breathtaking views of the sprawling Babich vineyard. Babich’s office is on the same site his father and uncles, immigrants from Croatia, bought more than a century ago. It was in 1916 that the fledgling winemaking business produced their first ever bottle of wine.
‘‘I have lived here all my life. We grew up here, we would play in the vineyard and the winery. As teenagers we did the odd job. After high school I just joined the family business. No elaborate induction or training. I just started working here.’’
Things have come a long way since then.
‘‘Today, we have 10 hectares of grapes here, four properties totalling 60 hectares of grapes in Hawke’s Bay and six vineyards in Marlborough which supply 250 hectares of grapes,’’ he says.
The result in an annual output of 500,000 cases, which is the equivalent of 6 million bottles of wine. Most of the product is exported overseas. Around 88 per cent of it is sent to 40 countries.It was Babich’s forward thinking and astute business sense that steered the business in an international direction in the 1980s. Impressed by the wines of France, he decided to produce chardonnay in New Zealand. This proved a huge success globally, leading to a string of accolades including the prestigious Winemaker of the Year Award at the New Zealand Royal Easter Show in 1994. In 2012, the Babich brand earned a place in the top 50 world’s most admired wine brands by worldrenowned magazine Drinks International. He was awarded the Sir George Fistonich Medal in Recognition of Service to N.Z. Wine at the N.Z. International Wine Show 2013. The biggest challenge for any family business to make sure those who take over its reins run it with the same fervour as its founders, he says.
‘‘To make sure Babich Wines continues to be successful, we have to make sure our next generation capable of taking over. David Babich is our general manager, he is good running the business.’’