Marlborough’s Number One Family Estate Wins World’s Best Sparkling Wine

For the first time, a New Zealand winemaker has taken out a world championship title for the best sparkling wine, securing the top honor for its Brut NV at the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships in London over the weekend, 1News reported.

A Visionary Beginning in Marlborough

The story behind Marlborough’s Number One Family Estate began more than 45 years ago when French-born winemaker Daniel Le Brun decided to put down roots in the region, never doubting his vision. “I’ve known for years that our wines would stack up against Champagne,” he said. At the time, neither his family in the Champagne region of France nor the Marlborough locals were convinced, as no one else was making sparkling wine in the area. “That’s when I inherited the nickname of a crazy Frenchman, because I was still doing things different.”

Le Brun adhered to the traditional methods he had been taught, even importing equipment from France when it was unavailable in New Zealand. Despite his long-held belief in his product, receiving the latest accolade came as a shock. “It came you know as a bolt out of the blue, really,” he noted.

Industry Acclaim and Craftsmanship

Wine Marlborough general manager Marcus Pickens described Le Brun as the father of modern sparkling wine in New Zealand. “The vision that he’s shown and the dedication to stick to that, solely, I think is really special,” Pickens said. “There’s not many people that have that single vision and then just pursue it for their whole career.”

Number One Family Estate winemaker Lee Dobson explained that maintaining a focus exclusively on sparkling wine sets the company apart. “We’re very hands-on, hand-harvested, small team, meticulous detail, you know. We’re not making huge quantities, and we’re putting all of our energy and love into this wine,” Dobson said.

Realising a Lifelong Dream

Marketing manager and Le Brun's daughter, Virginie Le Brun, stated that the victory is the result of years of prior work. “It’s really the realisation of a dream that Daniel had way back when and, absolutely, all the more so for all of us as a team,” she said, adding, “I mean, you can’t really get more significant than beating Champagne.”