Vininspo! Podcast Episode 34: Judy Finn, Neudorf

Pioneer stories always draw me in. No matter how niche the thing—and Nelson might still be considered niche—sticking vines in the dirt with no grounds for belief that your venture will bear fruit is a leap of faith to marvel at. Judy Finn says they got by on “hard work, high hopes and a dollop of common sense and cunning”. It seems a sense of humour—and of the absurd—played a part.Judy co-founded Neudorf Vineyards with her late husband Tim, back in 1978. She tells me the place was suffused with the pioneering spirit when they arrived. Their predecessors—many of German extraction, hence the name of the estate (neu is new and Dorf means village)—had planted all sorts of things, and traces of instinct and ingenuity abounded. There was also another winery, Seifried Estate (established 1973), and Judy credits Hermann Seifried with being exceptionally supportive over the years.Neudorf is nestled in the Moutere Hills in the centre of the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island. It often has the country’s highest sunshine hours, while mountain ranges to the east, south and west provide rain shadow and Tasman Bay to the north moderates its maritime climate. This BioGro-certified organic farm has long been known for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, while Albariño has made a name for itself as a new kid on the block.Speaking of new kids on the block, Judy and Tim’s daughter, Rosie, took over the reins a few years ago. Her mother and I talk about what this breath of fresh, youthful air has brought to the estate as its self-styled global cheerleader. Rosie worked in London alongside powerhouse NZ wine ambassador Melanie Brown, whose previous credits include working alongside Peter Gordon at The Providores and founding The New Zealand Cellar. Mel is now owner, founder and chef-restaurateur of The Laundry in Brixton. Judy and I also talk about Tim, whom I never met, a widely loved, influential and (by all accounts) deeply interesting man. He died in October 2025 after a long struggle with his health.Todd Stevens is Neudorf’s long-serving winemaker and general manager, having taken over after John Kavanagh was head-hunted by Te Kairanga in 2012. A couple of other names crop up in connection with this move. Nigel Greening, owner of Felton Road, suggested Todd—who was then assisting this great Central Otago estate’s winemaker, Blair Walter—for the Neudorf role.Felton Road is one of New Zealand’s Family of Twelve, a group of estates that banded together in a successful collaborative marketing drive. Other members of this group were: Ata Rangi (Martinborough), Craggy Range (Hawke’s Bay), Fromm Winery (Marlborough), Kumeu River (Auckland), Lawson’s Dry Hills (Marlborough), Nautilus Estate (Marlborough), Palliser Estate (Martinborough), Pegasus Bay (Waipara), The Millton Vineyard (Gisborne; which called time in 2025) and Villa Maria (Auckland). Villa Maria’s influential founder, Sir George Fistonich, is mentioned by name—you can find out more about him by listening to my interview with Steve Smith MW on episode 16 of the podcast.Judy was named a 2025 New Zealand Winegrowers Fellow for services to wine marketing, and she shares plenty of straightforward wisdom on this subject. Her succinct guide to good trade relationships prompted me to quote a couple of previous podcast guests whose interviews, naturally, I recommend. The first is CellarHand founder Patrick Walsh (episode 4), and the second is wine writer Max Allen (episode 24).From the Finns’ pre-Neudorf days, Judy mentions Tim’s Master’s in Animal Behaviour, which inadvertently led to a fateful friendship with German-born soil scientist Rainer Eschenbruch at the Ruakura Research Centre in Hamilton. Judy, meanwhile, reflects on her stint at the Waikato Times. I discussed this area of New Zealand with PJ Charteris in episode 8. Judy worked on the paper with Michael King, the renowned historian on Māori culture (Māoritanga). Judy studied Te Reo (Māori language) with tribal leader Sir Robert Mahuta. A couple of terms that come up are pākehā, meaning a New Zealander of European descent, and whānau (family group).And a brief note on the topical background to this interview. Judy and I spoke during the week of the World Economic Forum in Davos, amid all manner of Trumpian nastiness. This was after Renée Nicole Good was fatally shot by ICE agents in Minneapolis, and shortly before the killing of Alex Pretti. In between those two despicable acts, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney gave a stirring speech at Davos in which he alluded to Václav Havel’s The Power of the Powerless essay. In it, Havel illustrates the risk of perpetuating life within a lie with the example of a greengrocer who places a sign reading “Workers of the world, unite!” in the window—an act of submission that others meekly follow. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit edmerrison.substack.com/subscribe