Behind The Bottle

  • Tim & Judy Finn

    Founding Winemakers

    Tim & Jude planted the first vines at Neudorf in 1978, since then they have strived for excellence and integrity in their wines. These days both are taking the opportunity to step back from the business... Tim spending more time in the garden and on the boat, Jude in the kitchen and on a local art board or two. Both there as guiding mentors when we need them. 

    tim@neudorf.co.nz | judy@neudorf.co.nz

  • Todd Stevens

    GM & Winemaker

    Winemaker Todd Stevens heads the overall production effort from vine to bottle and his role is to draw the various strands together to craft wines of distinction and place. When he's not plunging pinot he's building go karts, coaching soccer and mountain biking with his two sons Gus & Issac. 

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  • Rosie Finn

    Global Neudorf Cheerleader

    I was born in the middle of Vintage, grew up on the vineyard, studied design in Wellington and booked a one way ticket to London. I fell in love with the New Zealand wine industry from 19,000kms away. After two years working for The New Zealand Cellar (now Specialist Cellars) in London, the time came to move home. Since being home, I have taken over sales & marketing. Outside wine I love the water - on it, under it, in it, tonic with gin. 

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  • Stef Brockley

    Viticulturist

    Hailing from the City of Sails, but Tasman based for quite some time Stef joined us from our excellent wine neighbours Greenhough. He is all about organics, longevity in the vineyard and generally looking after our piece of dirt. Father of three kids... it would be fair to say he's kept pretty busy. 

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  • Abbey Feary

    Vineyard & Winery

    Having moved from Martinborough to Nelson, Albie joins us with an impressive resume including Wairarapa's Young Viti Winner. She comes with a gorgeous side kick in Ernie, the chocolate lab. Both to be seen roaming Home, Rosie's and Tom's Block.

  • Reuben Jane

    Cellar Door Manager

    Reuben Jane is our Cellar Door Manager. Coming from a science background, he found his feet in wine at one of Nelson's best restaurants, and one of our faves - Hopgood's & Co. Reuben has done a vintage with Todd and is the perfect addition to our team.

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Team Neudorf includes Alison Hill, who looks after exports. Mike Moody & Lynne Peter keep the place looking beautiful and the coffee strong. A wonderful crew in the vineyard and Baz, the vineyard cat can be found up trees, under desks and sleeping in the middle of the cellar door…. He’s the resident charmer.

Our History

"We (Tim & I) were fresh from the “back to the land” movement of the late sixties. We wanted to make wines of integrity. We figured Tim’s masters in Animal Behaviour along with my unimpressive journalism career would be beneficial. Wrong. However we did have youth (temporary), self belief (unwarranted) and friends. At one stage we had four mortgages and three jobs each. The old house at Neudorf had electricity in two rooms, an outside long drop, an inefficient wood stove and no hot water. I look back with no regrets.

The lichen covered winery started life 120 years ago as a stable. Then Tim milled two macrocarpa trees in the bottom paddock and six weeks later he had a winery. It is unaffected, practical and pleasing. The surrounding trees attract kerurū, tui, thrush, blackbirds and yellow hammers. Sheep, chooks, geese, ducks, rabbits (sadly) cats and dogs complete the menagerie.

Because there was so little known about basic viticulture in New Zealand we planted many varieties to see which ones were best suited to our soils. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling & Gris stuck, Sauvignon joined & later Albariño. 

So, we did it. We, and a whole heap of people – neighbours, family, friends and some fantastic staff. Each left a mark and many have gone onto work in bigger wineries or plant their own vineyard. Today 41 years later and we never feel we have it all sorted. But we love it and we are still learning, not just about viticulture and wine-making but exporting, currency exchange, the internet, human resource issues, distribution, yeasts and barrels, clones and crop levels.

Very few misgivings. Making wine is constantly scary and stimulating. We survive on hard work, high hopes and a dollop of common-sense and cunning.

So thank you everyone – wine drinkers and buyers, agents and sommeliers, staff and family. You help Neudorf survive and prosper.

So the future… Tim is a scientist by training and by nature... there will be more trials, more improvements in the field and better gear in the winery. We currently export to about 16 countries and that list continues to grow. And the challenge is still there – better and more beautiful wine year by year. When the world settles down Tim will take some time to master trout fishing, I will keep reading and painting and I hope our staff get a chance to relax a little."

Judy Finn
Co Founder, Amateur Painter, Professional Reader, Pretty Good Cook 

“Neudorf are one of my favourite New Zealand producers, and though the wines are generally tasted blind, it is hard to separate the wonderful Finn family, and their vision writ large in their wines, from the consumption and assessment of their wines. Late 70s pioneers of Nelson, they continue to excel."

Mike Bennie, The Wine Front AUS