Villa Maria ends 2013 on a high scooping 21% of New Zealand’s Gold Medal haul at the IWC
In the first tranche of the International Wine Challenge Awards 2014, announced yesterday, Villa Maria and sister winery, Vidal, picked up 21% of the large gold medal haul for New Zealand. As well as taking three Gold’s at the IWC, including one for their most widely distributed wine, the Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc 2013, this wine was also named ‘Grand Champion’ at the 19th Old Ebbitt Grill International Wines for Oysters competition which took place in Washington, USA this month. In addition to Gold for the Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc, Villa Maria Reserve Clifford Bay SauvignonBlanc 2013 and Vidal Reserve Series Pinot Noir 2011 also received Gold medals at the IWC 2014.
Villa Maria founder and CEO Sir George Fistonich comments: “To have our Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc – a wine that is distributed to over 60 countries, receive international awards and recognition is an outstanding result for us. These results also help to enhance the NZ wine industry’s credentials as a producer of premium quality wines.”
These results come on the back of another hugely successful year for Villa Maria and its winemaking team, reinforcing their 33 year record for being New Zealand’s most awarded winery. Some of their award highlights over the past 12 months include:
- March – 13 Gold Medals at the Royal Easter Show, New Zealand’s oldest wine competition, including ‘Champion Merlot’.
- May – Two Gold Medals at the International Wine Challenge –Single Vineyard Southern Clays Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2012 and Private Bin Hawkes Bay Syrah 2010; and two trophy wins at the Decanter World Wine Awards in the over £15 bracket –Villa Maria Single Vineyard Taylors Pass Sauvignon Blanc 2012 and Reserve Pinot Noir 2010. In the same month, Villa Maria also took ‘Supreme Wine of the Show’ for the third consecutive year at the Gisborne Regional Wine Awards. To cap a fantastic month, Villa Maria founder Sir George Fistonich was inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of fame, for his contribution to the economic and social development of New Zealand through enterprise.
- June – Villa Maria Reserve Wairau Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2012 was one of two New Zealand wines awarded gold in the Sauvignon Blanc category at the International Cool Climate Wine Show 2013.
- September – Villa Maria won four trophies at the prestigious NZ Romeo Bragato Awards which are given to growers for viticulture excellence. In the renowned South African Michelangelo Wine Awards, which took place in the same month, Villa Maria picked up a trophy for its Hawke’s Bay Syrah and a Gold for its Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2013.
- October – A fantastic month for Villa Maria who dominated once again at the NZ International Wine Show 2013 picking up ‘Champion Wine Company of the Year’, ‘Winemaker of the show’, five Trophies and 15 Gold Medals. In the same month, the Villa Maria Reserve Merlot 2010 was trophy winner at the Six Nations Wine Challenge – a competition targeted at uncovering the best wines produced by new world wine countries, and Sir George was given the 2013 ‘Rabobank Leadership Award’ for his outstanding contribution to agribusiness as a pioneer of modern-day winemaking in New Zealand.
- November – Villa Maria picked up four trophies and 12 Gold Medals at the Air New Zealand Wine Awards at which Sir George was also inducted in to the New Zealand Winegrowers Hall of Fellows. At the annual Marlborough Wine Show, Villa scooped the coveted Champion Wine of the Show. And Villa Maria was announced as New Zealand Winery of the Year for the 13th time in 16 years by leading Australian wine magazine Winestate.
Villa Maria wines www.villamaria.co.nz are available in the UK via sole UK agent Hatch Mansfield.
For more information on Hatch Mansfield please go to their website: www.hatchmansfield.com
