At 14, Josip Babich chose to journey with his brothers to the other end of the earth

In rural Croatia, young men had little choice if they stayed at home.

Small farms and big families wasn’t an equation for a bountiful future. But there was the promise of a new life through hard work in the New World. Josip Babich joined his brothers and, in a few short years, went from digging up precious Kauri gum to breaking ground on New Zealand’s most enduring family winery.