The King of Chardonnay: Tony Bish on reinvention, innovation and obsession

What does it take to become known as the "King of Chardonnay" ? In this episode of the Halliday Wine Companion Podcast , we sit down with New Zealand winemaking legend Tony Bish to unpack a career that broke every rule. From dropping out of law school to pioneering chardonnay in Hawke's Bay, Tony shares the raw, unfiltered story behind building a globally respected wine label. We go deep on: Why chardonnay became his singular obsession The early days of New Zealand's wine industry How innovation in fermentation (including concrete and oak eggs) changed everything The brutal realities of partnerships, risk, and starting over What truly separates great wine from average wine This is not just a conversation about wine. It's about conviction, craft, and backing yourself when nothing is guaranteed. The Halliday Wine Companion Podcast is hosted by Halliday editor Anna Webster. Tony Bish Wines Tony Bish on Instagram Halliday Wine Companion Halliday Wine Companion on Instagram Anna Webster on Instagram Buy the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion 00:00 – Meet Tony Bish: New Zealand's King of Chardonnay 02:09 – The moment wine "bit" and changed everything 03:51 – How New Zealand's wine industry was rebuilt from scratch 05:24 – The rapid rise of sauvignon blanc and global success 10:59 – Starting a wine label with $3000 and selling out instantly 15:29 – The brutal lesson that cost him everything 23:52 – Why chardonnay needed to be reinvented 25:01 – The breakthrough: cold fermentation in barrels 27:55 – Leaving a big company to go all-in on chardonnay 29:38 – "Fat & Sassy": disrupting chardonnay's reputation 31:06 – The Golden Egg: redefining fermentation 33:47 – Why innovation matters more than tradition 40:06 – Creating a world-first chardonnay in an oak egg 46:18 – What actually makes great wine (hint: it's not just technique) 58:20 – The obsession with perfection in blending 01:03:28 – What's next for Tony Bish Tony Bish, Chardonnay wine, New Zealand wine, Hawke's Bay wine, winemaking process, wine podcast, wine innovation, Chardonnay fermentation, concrete egg fermentation, oak egg wine, wine industry insights, Halliday Wine Companion

You can listen to The King of Chardonnay: Tony Bish on reinvention, innovation and obsession online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The King of Chardonnay: Tony Bish on reinvention, innovation and obsession is an episode from Halliday Wine Companion by Anna Webster.

This episode is 66:03 long.

This episode was published on Apr 21, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Halliday Wine Companion when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.