In Australia, we love our Aussie wine, but most of us are also avid appreciators of wine from across the ditch.

And because we’re also partial to a celebration, we’re pleased to raise a glass to one of New Zealand’s most recognisable wine brands, Kim Crawford who are celebrating their 25^th birthday.

Founded by Kim and Erica Crawford, the Kim Crawford brand has grown dramatically during the past 25 years, boasting wine from two of NZ’s most famous regions, Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay.

Kim Crawford is now the largest New Zealand wine brand by volume in both the US and Canada with annual sales volume of $26.7 million.

But success didn’t happen overnight, with the powerhouse couple working hard and playing to their respective strengths, Kim making the wine and Erica managing the business and borrowing money against their home to make it happen.

The pair broke the conventions of the wine world at the time and began a ‘virtual winery’ buying grapes from contract growers and making wine in other people’s wineries.

 “In the mid 1990s, the world started noticing Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, so we decided to put it all on the line and start our own brand. Our approach to this was to counter a market flooded with oak aged Chardonnay and the result was a truly unique expression of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc that stood out compared to existing examples on the market at the time,” Erica says. “We started this dream from our home in Auckland, New Zealand and hoped it would succeed. But taking the world by storm first came with a plethora of challenges and obstacles that tested us and saw us build a resilience we still carry with us today. We nearly lost it all at one point but it was fighting spirit and maverick attitude that kept us going.”

25 years of resilience from a small Auckland cottage to global success wasn achieved through hard work, determination and innovation against the odds.

“We do things unconventionally, take risks, start things, and welcome difference – these are just some of the reasons that the Kim Crawford brand has resonated over the years” Erica says.

Today, Kim Crawford forms part of Constellation Brand’s powerhouse portfolio of wines with an ever-developing product range such as the Illuminate Sauvignon Blanc, a low calorie, low alcohol, white wine option designed to fit with our lifestyle without impacting it.

Check out the range HERE.