Villa Maria

Brand Description

At Villa Maria, we are driven to create the very best from New Zealand and our wine is a unique expression of our land, our passion and our bold spirit, captured in a glass.

Grown sustainably in wind cooled valleys, between shifting mountains and crashing seas, and bottled in the crater of a volcano. Passionately crafted without compromise, we proudly share it with the world, to inspire, delight and to elevate the moment.

Location of Vineyard

Marlborough

New Zealand’s largest wine region is world-famous for its crisp, fruit-driven Sauvignon Blanc. Sheltered by high country to the west, south and parts of the east, and open to the Cook Strait in the north, Marlborough experiences bright, chilly winter months followed by long, dry summers.

An extensive glacial braided river system has deposited deep, free-draining soils across the various sub-regions, creating the perfect environment to successfully grow a wide range of grape varieties.

Hawkes Bay

The region is one of New Zealand’s oldest for grape growing and the second largest, with vineyards concentrated around the urban centers of Hastings and Napier.

Hawkes Bay offers myriad soil types and a long, dry growing season ideal for ripening a wide range of grape varietals. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the major grape varietals planted across the region.

Winemaking Philosophy

Passionately crafted without compromise, our wines are made to proudly share with the world, to inspire, delight and to elevate the moment.
The journey began 1961, when George Fistonich started with just an acre of vines in Auckland. Now an icon of the New Zealand wine industry, Villa Maria is known for bold and industry-changing moves with an emphasis on sustainable practices in every area.

Our wines are a reflection of the unique sites and regions they are grown. With lower cropped yields and parcels kept separate, all wines are made with care and attention without compromising on quality. From our drink now fruit-driven styles, to high high-end single vineyard icons, our vast range of wines suit any occasion.

Winemaker: Helen Morrison
Founded: 1961

“Expressive aromas of black fruit and blackcurrant leaves. It has lots of depth and concentration, yet the fruit remains pure, with plenty of freshness. This is a firm and structured wine with terrific ageing potential.” – 17 points — acclaim for 2020 Villa Maria Ngakirikiri from Jancis Robinson, Apr 2024

“The 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Woven is the first vintage of this new cuvée. It is an ambitious, wood-fermented, lees-aged expression. Hailing from the richer soils of Marlborough's Southern Valleys, it is a weighty, curvy style with plenty of richness built in the mid-palate and sinewy muscle drawing it through – it’s not what you would call a shy and retiring wine. It boasts a powerful structure and bold varietal flavors. Sweaty passion fruit, blackcurrant, nectarine and nettles meet oak-derived vanillins as well as a firm, flinty, reductive note. Possessing long length and line, this is a wine that would benefit from a little decant prior to drinking. This is an impressive new offering from Villa Maria. Chapeau.” — acclaim for 2021 Villa Maria Woven Sauvignon Blanc from Vinous, Apr 2024

“The 2019 Ngakirikiri leads with blueberries and rocks, dried flowers (lavender specifically) and forest berries on the nose. In the mouth, the fruit is more plush than the nose would suggest and has a pleasurable flow of fine, gently gritty tannins through the finish. It's an interesting, elegant wine.” — acclaim for 2019 Villa Maria Ngakirikiri from Wine Advocate, Feb 2024

View more acclaim

Find a Distributor