Why Hiroyuki Kusuda is one of New Zealand's most extraordinary producers

One of the most remarkable producers in New Zealand – and possibly the world – is Kusuda, established by Tokyo-born Hiroyuki Kusuda in Martinborough in 2001.

Although Hiro initially pursued a career in law, wine was always an active hobby, with frequent trips to Europe and other wine-producing regions throughout his studies and beyond. It was on a trip to New Zealand that he tried a pinot noir, made by fellow Martinborough producer Ata Rangi, which he said, “just stunned me… New Zealand has occupied a place on my map of the best winegrowing regions on the planet ever since”.

In 1996, Hiro went to Germany to learn the language but, with the lure of winemaking becoming harder to resist, ended up studying oenology and viticulture at Geisenheim University, working vintages in Germany’s Rheingau, Australia and Burgundy throughout. His thesis took him to back to Martinborough where he connected with Kai Schubert, whose support allowed Hiro to make the first Kusuda wines in 2002, just months after immigrating to New Zealand with his family. 

The pursuit of his goal, which has always been to “craft pinot noir with sheer purity and finesse… that can be acknowledged at the highest level,” has seen Hiro adopt incredibly detailed, almost fanatical winemaking practices. A perfectionist in both the vineyard and winery, he farms his sites organically (although he’s not certified) and not only hand-picks but hand-sorts grapes berry by berry, discarding those with even the slightest imperfection. 

As well as pinot noir, which comes from the Martinus vineyard he first leased in 2012 and later bought in 2015, he crafts syrah from a block purchased in 2006, and, since 2009, riesling in dry, late-harvest and trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) styles. But not chardonnay: “My wife doesn’t like it,” Hiro says. “Don’t ask me why she likes Champagne…”

Because of his fastidiousness, production is small – typically between 600 and 1000 cases in total, a third of which is exported to Japan. Yet although his wines may be hard to find, they are well worth seeking out – Kusuda has earned its reputation as an extraordinary producer, responsible for some of the world’s purest and most powerful wines. 

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Banner image credit: New Zealand Wine