Man O War Vineyards, Auckland. Image courtesy NZ Winegrowers Inc

For a small wine producing nation at the edge of the world, New Zealand punches above its weight on the global wine scene. Self-described as “the most united wine industry in the world”, New Zealand has just one industry representative organisation: New Zealand Winegrowers, which represents both the growers and wineries. The industry has a long history of leaders whose vision, innovation and new world attitudes have driven exports to $2.11 billion in sales in 2024, representing 90% of production.

The New Zealand Winegrowers board has recently appointed two new leaders, Fabian Yukich (chair) and Emma Taylor (deputy chair).

Fabian Yukich (chair) grew up in a pioneering family that established the original Montana Wines winery in West Auckland. His father Frank Yukich made the bold move of planting the first large-scale vineyards in the Marlborough region of the South Island of New Zealand.  Frank is famous for his proclamation in 1973 “Wines from here will become world famous”.  His foresight is now recognised as a pivotal moment for Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and its subsequent meteoric rise to fame around the world.

With his family roots firmly in the wine industry, Yukich’s professional career has spanned winemaking, sales, project management and executive leadership positions. He has served on the Board of New Zealand Winegrowers since being elected in 2012 and more recently has held the role of deputy chair since 2020. He also has a passion for sustainable innovation, steering the New Zealand Winegrowers Environment committee since 2016. He was the recipient of the Sustainability Champion Award at the NZ Sustainable Business Network Awards and led the team at Villa Maria, that won Parliament’s Supreme Green Ribbon Award in 2012.

“Underpinned by the consistent high quality and consumer acceptance of its products, New Zealand wine has seen extraordinary growth in the past three decades,” said Yukich. “It is one of the country’s most successful export industries. As chair of the board, I believe we need to bring a strong focus on providing the necessary support for our members to remain at the forefront of quality, innovation, and sustainability in winegrowing.”

Emma Taylor (deputy chair) brings expertise and experience from a grower’s perspective. Taylor won the Young Viticulturist of the Year and Young Horticulturist of the Year in 2007, and for the next 17 years her career has gone from strength to strength, with various viticulture roles at Villa Maria and later Vineyard Plants Ltd. In 2020 Taylor launched a viticulture consultancy business and currently works with a range of clients, as well as being Viticulture Business Manager for Craigmore Sustainables. She has spent significant time and energy on the Young Viticulturist committee, pan sector water allocation committees, and was heavily involved in the Cyclone Gabrielle recovery. In recognition of her services to the region, Taylor was inducted as a Fellow of Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers this year.  Taylor is also a director of Bragato Research Institute (BRI), New Zealand Winegrowers’ research arm.

“The future of New Zealand wine lies in our ability to protect our borders through vigilance with biosecurity, and to invest in research and development to provide innovative solutions for our members’ long-term sustainability,” said Taylor.

Representation by women on the New Zealand Winegrowers Board has increased over the last ten years, with the 12 member board now including five female directors. Emma Taylor is the first woman to hold the role of deputy chair and was the first woman to win Young Viticulturist of the year in 2007.

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