THE JULY B-SIDES
NEW ZEALAND BUT NOT THAT NEW ZEALAND…
This month we're heading to Kumeū, just twenty miles northwest of Auckland, to visit one of New Zealand's most celebrated family wineries. For many wine drinkers, New Zealand begins and ends with Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, but long before Marlborough became an international phenomenon, the Brajkovich family was quietly building what would become one of the world's benchmark Chardonnay estates. Today, Kumeu River is mentioned in the same breath as some of Burgundy's finest domaines, with critics and sommeliers routinely pouring its wines alongside Premier and Grand Cru Burgundy in blind tastings.
The story begins in 1944, when Croatian immigrants Mick and Katé Brajkovich, together with their son Maté, purchased a small property in the rural village of Kumeū after years spent digging kauri gum in New Zealand's far north. Like many Dalmatian families who settled around Auckland, they initially farmed a mix of crops alongside grapes, gradually expanding the vineyard over the following decades. The winery's modern identity emerged under Maté's son, Michael Brajkovich MW, New Zealand's first Master of Wine, whose commitment to Burgundian viticulture and traditional cellar practices transformed Kumeu River into one of the Southern Hemisphere's most respected producers. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts, barrel fermentation, full malolactic conversion, and extended lees aging remain hallmarks of the estate's Chardonnays today.
Understanding Kumeu also means understanding that not all of New Zealand looks like Marlborough. Marlborough, located at the northeastern tip of the South Island, is defined by abundant sunshine, cool nights, and free-draining alluvial gravel soils that produce the piercing acidity and explosive aromatics for which its Sauvignon Blanc has become famous. Kumeū, by contrast, sits in the humid, maritime climate of New Zealand's North Island. Rainfall is higher, temperatures are slightly warmer, and the vineyards are planted on rolling hills of clay-rich soils rather than gravel plains. These heavier clay soils retain moisture and naturally moderate vine vigor, while the surrounding Tasman Sea tempers extremes of heat and cold. The resulting wines are broader in texture, more savory in profile, and driven less by overt fruit than by minerality, structure, and finesse—a style that has earned Kumeu River comparisons to Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet rather than to the fruit-forward whites most people associate with New Zealand.
Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay
The Estate Chardonnay is the cornerstone of the winery, blending fruit from several of the family's finest vineyards surrounding Kumeū. Fermented entirely in French oak barrels with indigenous yeasts before spending nearly a year on its lees, it offers a masterclass in restraint. Citrus blossom, white peach, lemon curd, hazelnut, and subtle baking spice unfold over a palate that is simultaneously rich and remarkably precise. The wine's bright acidity and chalky mineral backbone keep every sip focused, making it equally compelling alongside roast chicken, lobster, grilled halibut, or creamy mushroom risotto. It's the bottle that has convinced countless Burgundy lovers that great Chardonnay can come from somewhere entirely unexpected.
Kumeu River Village Pinot Noir
The Village Pinot Noir offers a different perspective on the estate. Drawn from vineyards surrounding Kumeū, along with carefully selected fruit from the family's Rays Road vineyard in Hawke's Bay, it reflects the freshness and elegance that define Pinot Noir in New Zealand's maritime climates. Fermented with native yeasts and handled gently in the cellar, the wine emphasizes perfume over weight. Aromas of red cherry, raspberry, rose petal, and warm spice are complemented by subtle earth and dried herb notes, while fine tannins and vibrant acidity give the wine an effortless drinkability. More about purity than power, it's a natural companion to duck breast, grilled salmon, mushroom dishes, or a simple roast chicken.
These two wines serve as a reminder that New Zealand's story extends far beyond Sauvignon Blanc. For more than eighty years, the Brajkovich family has demonstrated that the country's diverse climates and soils are capable of producing wines every bit as nuanced and age-worthy as the world's most celebrated regions. Kumeu River remains one of the clearest and most delicious expressions of that vision.
