"If there’s one wine shop that sells the best of New Zealand (and the world), this is it. You’ll be in heaven when you set foot in here."
- Peter Gordon, Decanter Magazine Best of Auckland, 2017
"Daniel Kemp of Kemp Wine Merchants and Great Little Vineyards has a strong and individual taste on quality, that appears to be highly appreciated by wine enthusiasts, and of course his clientele. Daniel looks after the distribution of a number of high profile wine brands that offer the unusual and exciting, making his portfolio one to be aware of."
- Raymond Chan Wine Reviews, 2018
"Great Little Vineyards: Exactly what is says on the tin. If you haven’t the time or energy to trek up and down the country popping in to see small estates, this wine shop is the next best thing. It presents some of the best of New Zealand’s smaller producers, and supposedly only those who practise organic, biodynamic and natural farming. The staff are quite keen to have a good long chat about their wines and offer a few up for tastings most days. You’re pretty much guaranteed to find a few great little bottles."
- JancisRobinson.com, Best of Auckland, 2019
"Hosting wine labels that are bio-dynamic, organic and free from all nasties is just the start for Great Little Vineyards. They look to celebrate innovative wines and lend a helping hand to small production wines makers, too. As they build on their ever diversifying portfolio, they create a platform for emerging wine labels to shine. The team behind Great Little Vineyards has more than 20 years of wine experience behind them. It's their understanding of the woven fabrics that make up the local and international wine industry that make a visit to Great Little Vineyards an experience."
- Concrete Playground, Best Boutique Bottle Shops, 2018
"It takes bravery to even attempt to weather the storm of importing wine right now, due to global delays in shipping and transportation, thanks to the pandemic, but Kemp has tied himself to the mast and remains at the top of his game with both wine importation and distribution of it, nationwide."
- Joelle Thomson, Weathering the Pandemic with Great Wine, 2022
Great Little Vineyards &Â Kemp Wine Merchants
In 2001, Kemp Wine Merchants was born of Daniel Kemp’s passion for fine wine, an interest he cultivated while working and managing his own restaurant The Bach. Daniel's intention was to find the finest small wine producers and connect them with top restaurants and trade. Great Little Vineyards was created 4 years later, and is the retail arm of Kemp Wine Merchants, a collection of our finest producers all under one roof for the public to experience. Both are located in Orakei Bay Village, Auckland, New Zealand.
Over the course of the last 15 years, Kemp Wine Merchants and Great Little Vineyards have become synonymous with the most cutting edge and exceptional artisan wines produced in New Zealand and around the world. Never content with the ordinary, we’ve attracted a stable of the very best producers and connected them with a new breed of consumers who demand wines that stand out from the crowd, at every price point and varietal.
Â
Our Commitment
We are dedicated to building and maintaining an outstanding wine portfolio. We champion organic, bio-dynamic and natural farming. When possible, we prefer to focus on small production wines with a sense of place. Additionally, we seek out new exciting wines from cutting edge wineries that cover off all price points for our loyal customers. We are the wine revolutionaries and think of ourselves as champions for those vineyards that deserve more recognition in a competitive market.
We are very protective of where our wines are placed in the market, handpicking the retailers and hospitality establishments that will respect, complement and promote the wines correctly.
With more than 20 years of wine experience, Kemp Wine Merchants is sophisticated and creative in its offerings. Our team is composed of industry professionals who are knowledgeable and passionate about the industry, our customers, and the outstanding wines that we are honoured to represent.
Daniel Kemp, Managing Director
New Zealand native, Daniel Kemp, a successful restaurateur-turned-wine merchant, founded his own restaurant The Bach in Taupo in 1994. His expertise and passion for food and wine soon converted his customers into loyal patrons and even lifelong friends. A few years in, he expanded the wine list to a selection of almost 500 wines from New Zealand and around the world.
In 2001, Daniel started his own distribution company – Kemp Wine Merchants – followed by the launch of its retail store Great Little Vineyards just 4 years later. Recognised by both trade and beyond, Daniel was even appointed as the wine consultant for the New Zealand government in 2007 and 2008.
Drawing on Daniel’s extensive hospitality and wine experience, but also on his artistic flair and the Kiwi spirit, he’s shaping Kemp Wine Merchants into a unique kind of wine experience provider. What started as a small family business is now a leading company on the forefront of what’s new and exciting to all wine retailers, restaurants, and connoisseurs throughout New Zealand. It’s safe to say that Daniel's approach has raised the benchmark for the term 'quality wine merchant' in New Zealand.
Hear more about Daniel's story in a podcast discussion with Boris Lamont below.
The GLV team
From a diverse set of backgrounds and cultures, the Great Little Vineyards team shares Daniel's passion not only for great wine, but for creating extraordinary and memorable experiences for our customers.
This process begins with the selection of wines. For any producer to be eligible for our portfolio, the wines must first pass through our rigorous, collective tasting panel, evaluating the product's strengths and weaknesses with no reference whatsoever to commercial considerations. We select the wines that speak to our souls, that make us want to pour another, bigger glass and take us to another level in our belief of what's possible in winemaking.
We want the wines we have selected to reflect the same diversity as our team. That's why they come from a wide variety of different origins and backgrounds, each with their own distinctive character and personality. Just as there are no weak links in our portfolio, there are no weak links in our team – we're united by shared convictions and passions, and a relentless pursuit of the extraordinary.
