Tim Finn: A legacy of excellence at Neudorf Vineyards

Tim, who passed away on 31 October, aged 79, began his winemaking journey in the early 1970’s, when he was studying for a master’s degree in animal behavioural science while working for the Ministry of Agriculture at their Ruakura research centre.

At the time a new generation of producers were appearing on the New Zealand winemaking landscape and Ruakura’s sister organisation at Te Kawhata was involved in wine research. A few years ago Tim told me, “a little cross-fertilisation took place”.

After looking at most of New Zealand’s established wine producing regions, Tim and his wife Judy found a piece of land in Nelson that looked quite interesting. Many established producers of the time did not see much value in research, but as a scientist and novice winemaker Tim was like a sponge, soaking up as much information as he could and sharing the things he was learning in the vineyard with researchers.

This sharing of knowledge was important to Tim and the phenomenal success of Neudorf Vineyards. He believed that the industry is in the strong position it is because winemakers and viticulturists around the country have been prepared to talk openly about things that work and things that could be done better.

When he was made a Fellow of the New Zealand Wine Institute in 2008, the citation read: “Tim is widely respected in the industry for the superb quality of Neudorf wines and the contribution he has made both regionally and nationally to the betterment of the industry.”

He was a man who attained excellence in everything he did, he was a man with a huge heart, a man of generosity who always had a smile on his face, but most importantly he was a man who loved his family above everything. His daughter Rosie says her father was “humble to a fault, inquisitive and pioneering. He leaves a legacy of excellence behind.”