ZB ZB
Sport
100 Years of ZB
Live now
Start time
Playing for
End time
Listen live
Listen to NAME OF STATION
Up next
Listen live on
ZB

Listen: 100 Years of ZB Podcast hosted by Mike Hosking

"Serendipity": James Suckling on Mirae and investing in NZ's wine industry

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 3 Sep 2026, 9:41am
Photo / Getty
Photo / Getty

James Suckling is one of the biggest names in the wine game. 

The American critic has been tasting thousands of wines every year for decades, and his tick of approval is worth its weight in gold in the industry. 

And a few years ago, he put that weight behind New Zealand's wine production, buying his own vineyard in Martinborough – Mirae.  

Suckling told Mike Hosking that the purchase was serendipitous, as he'd never planned on owning a vineyard.  

"I was in Martinborough ... this was 2022 after Covid, so I hadn't been in ten years, and so I wanted to come back," he explained. 

"I went with a mate of mine who's a Kiwi ... and I'm like mate, let's go and check out the best vineyards in New Zealand." 

"I didn't remember it as such a magnificent place, but in the back of my mind I kept on thinking, wow, you know, this could be the last place on Earth to make great fresh wines." 

And so when he saw a for sale sign on a vineyard called Kiwa, it was love at first sight. 

LISTEN ABOVE  

Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you