Neudorf Vineyards’ wines are the product of a team. Like many small vineyards we run on a great deal of passion and a lot of fun. We nod in the direction of business reality to keep the whole enterprise afloat, but we know that good wines come from the heart. At the cellar door Kirsten Mabbott with her team of Bo and Cheryl conduct the tastings, and Kirsten keeps in touch with our mail order people and the local restaurants. Ken Packer looks after business and export orders, and does all the things the Government asks us to do. Bevan is groundsman, looks after r & m, 15 sheep, 4 chooks and the compost. Lynne on the other hand is the glue that keeps the whole operation from falling apart.
Our Viticulturalist Richard Flatman and his family have 
moved up from Central Otago, and Richard’s extensive experience in viticulture and organic production systems are invaluable as we strive for ever greater wine quality and sustainability.
Miles Chamberlayne and the vineyard team are the core of what we do here and their work in the vineyard is invaluable. They are helped from time to time by a rich assortment of of people ranging from locals we have known for years, to young folk backpacking their way around the world and in need of a few weeks work to keep them going.
Winemaker John Kavanagh heads the overall production effort from vine to bottle and his role is to draw the various strands together to craft wines of distinction, wines that express their sense of place.
In the winery he is joined by the ever helpful and capable assistant winemaker Simon McGuire, and over vintage, an assortment of young French, German or American interns here on their OE. They provide an international perspective and a lot of laughs.
We are lucky to have a group of fine distributors working in markets around the world. Best of all they let us get on with the business of winemaking while they handle the business of selling.
Neudorf Vineyards is also a member “The Family of Twelve,” a group of like-minded winemakers who have banded together to create a unique export marketing group.
The twelve wineries are Kumeu River, Craggy Range, The Millton Vineyard, Ata Rangi, Palliser Estate, Fromm, Neudorf Vineyards, Nautilus, Lawson’s Dry Hills, Pegasus Bay, Felton Road and Villa Maria.
We have known each other for years and share a concern about the trend away from wines of individuality and character towards the ubiquitous and amorphous “wine brands,” where individuality is too often a construct of the marketing department.
Already this venture has proved successful and a whole lot of fun as well.
