Kumeu River Wines was established in 1944 when Mick and Katé Brajkovich and their son Maté first came to the small country settlement of Kumeu, about 20 km northwest of Auckland City. The family migrated from Yugoslavia in 1938 and had been working in the far Northern part of New Zealand digging kauri gum. After moving to Henderson, in West Auckland, in the early 1940’s, they worked on vineyards and orchards in the area and saved enough money to buy a property with a small existing vineyard at Kumeu. The Brajkovich family describes its wine-making philosophy in terms of endeavouring to grow grapes of the highest standard, treating them with respect and turning them into wine. Kumeu River Wines is best known for its Bergundian style Chardonnay wines which have been rated by UK Wine Magazine as equal to Domaine Des Comtes Lafon Montrachet 1995 and accorded top 100 status by the American Wine Spectator magazine.