Most cult wines are built over generations. Hiroyuki Kusuda built his in a single lifetime, starting from zero — no family vines, no inheritance, no New Zealand roots. A glass of Martinborough Pinot Noir set the whole thing in motion, and roughly twenty-five vintages later his wines are among the hardest bottles to find in the country.
If you've seen the Kusuda name and wondered what the fuss is about — why the wines sell out on allocation, why collectors chase them, whether they're worth it — this is the short version. What he makes, how he makes it, and how the three wines differ.
From Tokyo law to a Geisenheim classroom
Kusuda was born in Tokyo and trained in law before wine pulled him off course. Travelling through Europe's wine regions as a student turned a curiosity into a calling. The turning point was a Pinot Noir from Ata Rangi, a fellow Martinborough producer — a wine that, in his words, "just stunned me."
In 1996 he moved to Germany, ostensibly to learn the language, and instead enrolled at Geisenheim University to study oenology and viticulture. Harvests followed in Germany's Rheingau, in Australia, and in Burgundy — the classical grounding behind wines that still read as European in their restraint. In 2001 he emigrated to New Zealand with his family and made the first Kusuda wines in 2002.
Farmed by hand, sorted berry by berry
The Kusuda method is closer to obsession than routine. Fruit is hand-picked and hand-sorted berry by berry, with anything imperfect discarded before it reaches the winery. The vineyards are farmed organically, though he has never sought certification — the point is the fruit, not the label on it.
Scale is the other half of the story. Total production sits at roughly 600 to 1,000 cases across all wines, with about a third committed to Japan before a single bottle reaches anywhere else. That's the real reason the wines are scarce: there was never very much to begin with, and demand long ago outran it.
The three wines, and how they differ
Kusuda makes Riesling, Pinot Noir and Syrah — and, pointedly, no Chardonnay. Each comes from a specific Martinborough site and a specific idea about what that grape should taste like when it's grown with this much care.
| Wine | Style | Drinking window | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riesling | Dry to off-dry, high-tension white | On release to 10+ years | Geisenheim-trained precision — lime, wet stone and a saline cut. Made in dry, late-harvest and rare botrytis styles. |
| Pinot Noir | Structured, ageworthy red | 3–12+ years from vintage | The wine that started it all. Sheer purity and finesse over weight — dark cherry, fine tannin, a long savoury close. |
| Syrah | Cool-climate, medium-bodied red | 4–15+ years from vintage | Peppery, floral and taut rather than jammy — closer to the northern Rhône than to Australia. From a block purchased in 2006. |
Current and recent releases
These are the Kusuda wines currently listed at Wine More Cellars. Availability moves quickly and the wines are sold on allocation — if a vintage shows as unavailable, contact us about the next release.
2023 Kusuda Riesling
Bone-dry tension and stony precision — the clearest expression of Kusuda's German training. A white built to reward a decade in the cellar.
2022 Kusuda Pinot Noir
The flagship. Purity and finesse ahead of power — dark cherry, silk-fine tannin and a savoury length that unfolds over years, not minutes.
2021 Kusuda Syrah
Cool-climate Syrah in the northern-Rhône mould — cracked pepper, violets and a taut, savoury frame. Among the most collectable Syrahs in New Zealand.
How to buy Kusuda
Because so few bottles exist, Kusuda releases are best approached the way collectors do: get on the list, and move when a vintage lands. Wine More Cellars carries the range as allocation allows — browse the current lineup below, and if the wine you want is between vintages, email us to be notified on the next release.
Explore the Kusuda range
See every current Kusuda listing, or ask us about upcoming allocations.
Questions or allocation requests: info@winemore.com.au
Wine More Cellars, Shop B136, Lower Ground Level, Chadstone Shopping Centre. Free shipping Australia-wide over $199.