New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) is celebrating its annual honours list by announcing five additions to the roll of NZ Wine Fellow. Fabian Yukich, Chair of NZW, says the Fellows are a peer-nominated group of highly respected and influential individuals whose leadership, innovation, hard work and passion have helped shape the success of the New Zealand wine industry.
“Each year, the NZ Wine Fellows honour, recognises a select group of people who have made an outstanding contribution to our industry. The 2026 Fellows have each helped strengthen New Zealand wine in their own way, through their commitment to excellence, generosity of knowledge, and service to the wider wine community,” says Fabian.
The 2026 Fellows will be inducted at the New Zealand Wine 2026 Celebration Dinner, being held in P?neke Wellington at the end of August.
Their contributions span the breadth of the industry, including viticulture, sustainability, winemaking, education, promotion, influence and governance.
2026 New Zealand Winegrowers Fellows:
Kevin Judd for promoting New Zealand wine and photography.
Kevin is recognised for his contribution to New Zealand wine’s global reputation, from his role as founding winemaker at Cloudy Bay to establishing Greywacke, and for his distinctive photography capturing the vineyards, regions and people of the industry.
Lynnette Hudson for services to wine education and Pinot Noir.
Lynnette’s winemaking expertise and passion for Pinot Noir has led to a longstanding contribution to wine education and industry leadership. She has generously shared her knowledge through the Southern Pinot Noir Workshop, which she has been on the committee and deeply involved with for over 25 years.
Rex Sunde for services to viticulture and sustainability.
Rex has contributed immensely to New Zealand Winegrowers’ Vineyard Spray Schedule, and his service has included time as a New Zealand Winegrowers board member, a member of the New Zealand Winegrowers research committee, and an executive committee member for Organic Winegrowers New Zealand.
Philip Gregan for extensive service to the industry and to NZW.
Philip’s outstanding contribution to the New Zealand wine industry has been through over four decades of leadership and service. His tenure saw him play a pivotal role in international trade relations, along with steering the industry to an export-focused global success story. After 43 years of service to the organisation, including 35 years as Chief Executive Officer across the Wine Institute and New Zealand Winegrowers, Philip retired at the end of June 2026.
Sam Neill is recognised for promoting New Zealand wine.
As an internationally acclaimed actor and tireless advocate for the industry over many years, Sam has generously used his profile, talents, and distinctive voice to promote New Zealand wine, bringing authenticity, warmth and global attention to the people, places, and stories behind the industry.
“We are incredibly proud of this year’s Fellows and the contributions they have made,” says Fabian. “They leave a lasting legacy for the next generation of winegrowers, and I look forward to acknowledging and congratulating them at their induction at the end of August.”
NEW ZEALAND WINEGROWERS
New Zealand Winegrowers Inc. is the national organisation for the country’s grape and wine sector, with over 600 grower members and 700 winery members. https://nzwine.com/