Kiwis torn over who to wine and dine with

New Zealanders may like their wine, but a new survey reveals that they are divided when it comes to which famous Kiwi they would like to have a wine with.

Film maker Sir Peter Jackson has come out on top as the person Kiwis would most like to have a bottle of wine with in the Babich 100 Year Anniversary Wine Survey.

However, proving politicians are a divisive bunch, Prime Minister John Key and former Prime Minister Helen Clark both feature on the most and least popular lists. Key was at the top of the least favoured list, and also tied for fifth alongside model Rachel Hunter on the most favoured list.

The survey of 500 respondents, conducted by research company Buzz Channel for Babich Wines, New Zealand’s most experienced family owned winery, let Kiwi’s select who they would most like, and least like, to share a bottle of wine with out of 20 well-known New Zealanders from the past 10 decades.

Although we may like music and sport, Kiwis would prefer not to share a wine with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Lorde, who both appear in the least popular list alongside Helen Clark and Barry Crump. Sporting stars also failed to break into the top five popular list. 

However, the legacies of Billy T. James and Kate Sheppard are still strong with the funny man and the suffragette making the most favoured list.

Historical figures such as Sir Edmund Hillary, Katherine Mansfield, Jean Batten, and Burt Munro were also favourites.

David Babich, General Manager, Babich Wines says as part of its 100 year celebrations the survey was a fun and interesting way to gauge views on who New Zealanders would like to have a wine with.

“From political leaders to celebrities and historical figures, there would be some interesting conversations taking place if the results of the survey were brought to life. It was also great to see Kiwi’s recognising famous New Zealand icons and to see the legacies of some living on,” he says.

“Babich has come a long way since the production of our first wine in 1916 and the survey not only celebrates our family and our company’s journey but the influential New Zealander’s who were there along the way.”

The list of 20 (in no particular order) that survey respondents had to choose from:

Helen Clark

Kate Sheppard

Peter Jackson

Lorde

Sir Edmund Hillary

Billy T. James

Rachel Hunter

Sir Peter Blake

Barry Crump

John Key

Burt Munro

Willie Apiata

Mark Todd

Valerie Adams

Katherine Mansfield

Colin Meads

Bruce McLaren

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa

Jean Batten

Steven Adams