A family owned New Zealand winery, founded in 1961 by its current owner and Managing Director, Sir George Fistonich. ‘Villa Maria’ is arguably the most well recognised and successful award winning New Zealand winery around.

History of Villa Maria

George Fistonich established ‘Villa Maria’ in 1961 at just 21 years of age. He did this after buying 5 acres of land from his father. In 1962 the world was first introduced to ‘Villa Maria’.

The 1960’s

During the 60’s George worked on his own, to grow, harvest and bottle wine. Sourcing grapes from all over the Auckland region, George was making dry red and white wines. Over the years George’s team slowly grew, as he employed staff, he gained traction and his wines grew in popularity.

The 1990’s

During the 1990s, They made the decision to introduce Stelvin screw cap closures across all ranges. ‘Villa Maria’ was the first major wine company in the world to declare the winery a “cork free zone”. George believes the consistency of wines under screwcap is one of the contributing factors to the company’s incredible success recently.

The 2020’s

Today, they employ over 250 people and exports wine to over 50 countries worldwide. Their people have an unrelenting passion to produce quality wines. Realising that it takes more than just good winemaking to produce quality, a passion to succeed begins in the vineyard.

Improving Vineyards

Astute site selection by Villa Maria’s vineyard experts is followed by superior vineyard management and then complemented by expert winemaking. A strong focus on regularly improving the vineyards is considered by ‘Villa Maria’ to be an incredibly important. An especially important factor in quality winemaking.

Wine Portfolio

Their wine portfolio is extensive, with all your favourites a part of the mix. From Sauvignon Blanc, to Syrah and Pinot Noir. An honourable mention is their Lightly Sparkling Sauvignon which embodies clean, fresh and exciting tasting notes!

For more information on Villa Maria and their wines, visit their website.