Something special for 30th vintage

MARION VAN DIJK GRAPE EXPECTATIONS: Tim and Judy Finn of Neudorf Vineyards with viticulturalist Richard Flatman, middle, started their 30th vintage with pinot noir grapes from the Lord Rutherford vineyard at Brightwater.

In 1978 Tim Finn could be found in night classes, studying navigation for an impending round-the-world sailing voyage with wife Judy. They never made the trip, instead buying a piece of land at Neudorf and beginning a voyage as winemakers, not sailors.

Today Neudorf wines can be found at the tables of the world's top restaurants, on the lips of the top critics and in the pages of the top industry publications. But as the Finns look over the first harvested grapes of their 30th vintage they say they are still focused on what started it all: ''Challenge and a bit of fun.''

That challenge for the 2010 vintage looms larger than most, but the Finns are certain quality equals sales and are happy with the initial bunches of  pinot noir grapes, picked at the Brightwater-based Lord Rutherford vineyard last Wednesday. ''We are a little light this year and we are quite happy to be a little light because there is a glut of grapes in the world. We are pretty keen on keeping grape levels down and making sure what we are producing is top-end,'' Mr Finn said.

In the 30 years since their debut vintage sold out in an hour and a half from the back of a shed in Upper Moutere, the couple have had plaudits thrown at them and their wine from every direction. However, like most family wineries, years of hard work  laid that foundation.

''We first planted in 1978 when it was only us,'' said Mr Finn. ''And I remember on various occasions, we'd be on the tractor and I'd be watering plants on one side and Jude would be on this rather nice armchair on the back, befitting the lady of the land, watering the other side. I'd sink into my own little world and at the end of a row I'd swing the tractor around and she would go flying off the back. After about four times in a row she would go storming off to the house.''

Despite the minor setbacks the pair quickly began developing a brand to be proud of and will this year produce 14,000 cases of wine. Viticulturalist Richard Flatman said the Finns' 30th was on track to be a ''special'' vintage.  ''I think it will be a very good year.  Very clean, so when the winemaker wants to pick for flavours we can. We've had a good run of weather and we will have lovely fruit flavours. The riesling, in particular, will be pristine,'' he said.

While the Finns planned to celebrate the beginning of the 30th vintage with their team, the celebrations will not end there. They will taking bottles of their older vintages to dinners with wine critics in Auckland, Wellington and London.

Ad Feedback They say they have been thrilled with the support they have received from local drinkers and restaurants and have no plans to give their passion away.
''It's a great life, it's an international passport and winemakers are nice people as a general rule.  ''Every year we add more lessons and hopefully the following year can be a bit better,'' Mrs Finn said.

''But we never used those night classes in navigation,'' she said. Wine drinkers around the world would no doubt raise a glass to that.