The Kumeū estate was named 2026 Wedding Vendor of the Year and took national titles for Best Venue – Ceremony, Best Venue – Reception and Best Catering – Food.
Markovina Vineyard Estate, a family-owned vineyard estate and wedding venue in Kumeū, West Auckland, was awarded the supreme award of 2026 Wedding Vendor of the Year at the New Zealand Wedding Vendor Awards. The estate was also named a National Winner in three categories, Best Venue – Ceremony, Best Venue – Reception and Best Catering – Food, at the awards gala held on Saturday 15 August 2026 at the Grand Millennium in Auckland. The result places one of Auckland’s long established wedding venues at the top of a national field in the same year the Markovina family marks sixty years in Kumeū.
Decided by Couples and Guests
Markovina’s four titles were won on the strength of public votes rather than a panel decision. Winners at the New Zealand Wedding Vendor Awards are determined by the total number of votes received, under a weighted system that gives additional value to votes cast by couples who married during the qualifying period of 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. Every vote behind the estate’s 2026 result therefore traces back to a wedding day held on the property, and to the guests and suppliers who were there for it.
The Ceremony and Reception Wins
The Best Venue – Ceremony title recognises the setting in which couples exchange their vows. Markovina Vineyard Estate offers nine outdoor ceremony locations across its grounds, ranging from garden and lawn settings to spots beside the pond and among the remaining rows of original grapevines. The range allows couples to match a location to the season, the time of day and the size of their guest list rather than work to a single fixed site.
The Best Venue – Reception title covers the celebration that follows. Couples at Markovina have exclusive access to the estate on their event day, and the spaces are laid out for indoor and outdoor flow between the gardens and the reception areas. Groups of varying sizes are accommodated, and packages are tailored to each couple. The venue also maintains dedicated planning information for Indian, Asian, Mori and Pasifika, Middle Eastern and intimate weddings, reflecting the range of celebrations hosted at the estate each year.
The Catering Win
The Best Catering – Food title recognises the estates own kitchen, which prepares and serves wedding menus on site. Among wedding caterers in Auckland, the category places the food alongside the setting as part of what a venue delivers on the day. The kitchen is led by head chef Nazareth Lobo, working with the events team so that menus, timings and service are planned together with each couple.
Sixty Years in Kumeū
The estate traces its origins to Ivan Markovina Sr, who came to New Zealand from Lumbarda on the island of Korčula in Croatia. After a period in Whangārei, the family relocated to Auckland in 1966 and settled in Kumeū, where Ivan Sr planted a vineyard that included varieties brought from Croatia. Winemaking passed to Ivan Markovina Jr, whose wines were entered into the Easter Show with consistent success.
Ivan Jr and Rina Markovina began hosting events on the property, with Rina managing the catering and Ivan overseeing the bar and spit roast, and the estate developed into a wedding and function venue from there. Three generations of the family now work in the business. Much of the original vineyard has since been reshaped into ceremony locations, gardens and entertaining areas, with some of the first vines still standing.
About Markovina Vineyard Estate
Markovina Vineyard Estate is a family-owned and operated vineyard estate, wedding venue and events venue at 84 Old Railway Road, Kumeū, West Auckland, around twenty five minutes from central Auckland. The Markovina family settled in Kumeū in 1966 and three generations now work in the business. At the 2026 New Zealand Wedding Vendor Awards the estate was awarded the supreme award of 2026 Wedding Vendor of the Year, along with National Winner titles for Best Venue – Ceremony, Best Venue – Reception and Best Catering – Food. More information is available at markovina.co.nz.
Media Release on 15 September 2026
Media Contact
Mark Markovina, Markovina Estate Limited
Phone: 412 8608
Website: https://www.markovina.co.nz/