Villa Maria Estates
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| Villa Maria Estates | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 36°58′47″S 174°46′02″E / 36.97966°S 174.76714°E |
| Wine region | New Zealand |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Key people | Sir George Fistonich KNZM |
| Known for | Ngakirikiri |
| Varietals | Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Riesling |
| Tasting | Open to the public |
| Website | www.villamariawines.com |
Villa Maria Estate is one of New Zealand's wine companies.[1] Their vineyards are located throughout New Zealand, with production bases in Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Marlborough and Auckland.[2][3][4]
Sir George Fistonich KNZM founded the company in 1961, upon leasing a 5-hectare (12-acre) plot of land on Kirkbride Road in Mangere, Auckland from his parents. The company relocated to a larger site on Montgomerie Road in the same suburb. In 2021 the company was bought by Indevin.[5]
Brands
[edit]Villa Maria Estate has a portfolio of several brands. These include Villa Maria, Vidal, Esk Valley, Thornbury, Riverstone, Left Field, Kidnapper Cliffs, and Te Awa.[2]
In addition to the New Zealand domestic market, Villa Maria Estate also distributes throughout Europe, North America, the Caribbean, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands.
Wines
[edit]Villa Maria has six tiers of wine: Ngakirikiri, Reserve, Single Vineyard, Platinum Selection, Cellar Selection and Private Bin.[6] Vidal covers three tiers: Legacy, Reserve and Estate. Esk Valley also covers three tiers: The Terraces, Winemaker's Reserve and Esk Valley Range. The Terraces is usually sold en primeur and is only produced during selected vintages. Te Awa produces two tiers: Te Awa and Leftfield. Thornbury, Kidnapper Cliffs and Riverstone operate on a single-tier basis.
Villa Maria produces wine styles that include[7] Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, 'Bordeaux' varieties (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec), Pinot noir and Riesling.[8] Less common varietals produced are Gewürztraminer, Pinot gris, Viognier, Verdelho, Syrah, Grenache, Chenin blanc, Albariño and Arneis.[9]
Wineries
[edit]
The Auckland vineyard was originally located at Kirkbride Road in Māngere Bridge. In 2000, George Fistonich purchased Waitomokia / Mount Gabriel, a nearby quarried volcanic site in Māngere.[10] The vineyard and packaging facilities opened on the site in 2005.[10]
Awards
[edit]Villa Maria Estate was named the supreme winner at the New Zealand Sustainable Business Network Awards in November 2012.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ Cooper, Michael (2019). "Regional Wine Profiles". Michael Cooper's New Zealand Wine Buying Guide. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
- ^ a b David Hayward The University of Auckland: The Largest NZ Wine Companies in Cat. 3 (over 2 million litres of production).
- ^ Villa Maria Vineyards: "Villa Maria Estate: New Zealand's leading wine award winner". Archived from the original on 13 April 2008. Retrieved 6 May 2008.
- ^ About Us: "About Villa Maria : An Icon in the New Zealand Wine Industry". Archived from the original on 3 December 2009. Retrieved 27 December 2009.
- ^ Bevin, Andrew (15 May 2023). "Villa Maria Estate faces looming closure". Newsroom. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
- ^ Cooper, M. Michael Cooper's Wine Buying Guide. 2018
- ^ Based on plantings and production in New Zealand- New Zealand winegrowers website http://www.nzwine.com/wine-styles/
- ^ Grape Varieties from Villa Maria Estate website – www.villamaria.co.nz
- ^ "Villa Maria wines : Sample Quality White, Rose & Red Wines". www.villamaria.co.nz. Archived from the original on 18 November 2009.
- ^ a b Thomson, Joelle (27 February 2005). "Winemakers go for growth". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
- ^ "Villa Maria's sustainability winning awards". 3 News NZ. 26 November 2012.