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New Zealand · People, vineyards & the wine they make
Neudorf — Tim, Judy & Rosie Finn’s Moutere Story
A back-to-the-land beginning grew into a lasting Nelson wine story. Meet the Finn family and the team carrying Neudorf forward, then follow Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Albariño into Moutere.
A vineyard built through practical curiosity.
Tim and Judy Finn planted Neudorf’s first vines in 1978. In Judy’s own account, their back-to-the-land ambitions met an old house, limited money and plenty to learn. A former stable became the winery, with Tim milling macrocarpa for the building work.
They tried different grape varieties to discover what suited the soils. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling and Pinot Gris stayed in the story, followed later by Albariño. Judy credits neighbours, family, friends and staff as part of that development: winegrowing emerged from shared work and experiment.
Upper Moutere is the place to find.
Neudorf lies in Upper Moutere within Nelson →, at the northern end of the South Island. Its own place account describes north-facing home plantings and a maritime influence from Tasman Bay, with mountain ranges helping create shelter.
The producer describes clay-gravel soils with good water-holding capacity, supporting dry farming. It returns composted grape skins and seeds to the vineyard and discusses canopy management to admit light and air. These are Neudorf’s site and practice descriptions, not a rule for every Nelson vineyard.
Our regional guide keeps the Moutere Hills and Waimea Plains in view. A more local site name helps a visitor move from the broad region toward the ground behind an individual bottle.
The current chapter has its own people.
The winery’s current account acknowledges Tim’s death and says Judy has stepped away from daily vineyard work. Todd Stevens is identified as general manager and winemaker; Rosie Finn’s role covers sales and marketing. The family’s founding chapter and the team’s present work belong together, without describing the original arrangement as unchanged.
The archival photograph therefore introduces a history. It should not be read as a photograph of the complete present-day team.
Let the archive suggest the next bottle.
Neudorf’s archive lists several distinct 2024 wines: Home Block Moutere Chardonnay, Rosie’s Block Amphora Chardonnay, Rosie’s Block Moutere Albariño and Tom’s Block Moutere Pinot Noir, among others. The names open different questions about site, grape and vessel.
| Follow this clue | What it tells us |
|---|---|
| Home Block Moutere Chardonnay | A named block and a grape: look for the exact vineyard and vintage account. |
| Rosie’s Block Amphora Chardonnay | A grape and a vessel clue: consult the original vintage sheet before supplying details of fermentation or maturation. |
| Rosie’s Block Moutere Albariño | A familiar Iberian grape in a Nelson setting, linking this story with our Albariño introduction. |
| Tom’s Block Moutere Pinot Noir | A red-wine route within a producer often introduced through Chardonnay. |
The archive is a reference to dated wines, rather than a promise of current stock. A name can invite a comparison; the individual sheet supplies the composition and cellar details.
A small Cork Dork discovery.
Let the maker’s account join your tasting.
Choose two Chardonnay accounts from the same Neudorf vintage, then place an Albariño beside them on paper. Mark what each name tells you about grape, site and vessel. Leave undisclosed figures as questions; do not assume a named block or amphora tells you every winemaking step.
From a farming story to the label.
Explore organic, biodynamic, sustainable and natural-wine terms. Separate the vineyard practices, cellar choices and certification attached to a particular wine and vintage. A producer’s history is a starting point for questions about the current bottle.
Where shall we wander next?
Behind this introduction.
Editorial sources checked 26 October 2026. Historical events and individual wines are dated where relevant. Producer descriptions explain their own practice; they are not universal rules or independent rankings.