No.1 Family Estate is a boutique winery in Marlborough, exclusively dedicated to producing traditional-method sparkling wines. It was founded in 1997 by Daniel and Adele Le Brun, with a vision to craft world-class ‘Méthode Traditionelle’ wines that could rival the finest Champagnes.

Daniel Le Brun, originally from Champagne, France, comes from a long lineage of winemakers dating back to 1684. Bringing his heritage and expertise to New Zealand, he saw Marlborough’s cool climate and free-draining soils as the ideal environment for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, the classic Champagne grape varieties.
No.1 Family Estate quickly gained recognition, producing elegant, complex, and age-worthy sparkling wines. Signature wines like No.1 Cuvée, No.1 Rosé, and No.1 Assemblé showcase the winery’s commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and family tradition, making it a benchmark for New Zealand sparkling wine.

In the early days, as he pioneered growing techniques and production methods unknown in New Zealand at the time, Daniel Le Brun became known as 'the crazy Frenchman'.
But Daniel could see that the climate and soils of Marlborough would make crisp and acidic wine that would age beautifully, perfect for really good sparkling wine.

The cool maritime climate is similar to Champagne, ensuring slow ripening and high acidity, crucial for sparkling wines. The sunshine hours are plentiful, helping develop fruit purity and elegance. And cool nights preserve freshness and delicate aromatics.

The vineyard lies in the river bed of the Wairau River. It is mainly flat terrain with soil that is a mixture of river stones, sandy loams and gravels which are ideal for growing the traditional champagne clones of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.