Eva Pemper

Eva Pemper grew up in a winemaking family just outside Croatia’s capital, Zagreb – her parents started out vinifying in a garage with “nothing but a strong belief and deep faith that this is what they should be doing,” a commitment that took them through many hardships, including the war in Croatia.

Following a long tradition of Croatians settling in New Zealand, Eva arrived in 2012 as a novice winemaker, before achieving her oenology diploma at the Eastern Institute of Technology in Hawke’s Bay, eventually setting up Eva Pemper Wines in 2019, with her business partner Rob Anderson. Rob’s family’s vineyard holdings in the Lower Wairau Valley (at the foot of the Wither Hills), give the label something most young brands lack: estate fruit, farmed to their own standard, every vintage.

Eva is inspired by both her European legacy and her modern New Zealand environment, which she weaves together into her wines. The portfolio covers stalwart Marlborough fare such as Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, as well as Chardonnay, a rosé, Reserve and Single Vineyard options, but is set to cover other regions and styles, from Central Otago to sparkling, in the near future.