Villa Maria buys prime vineyard in Hawkes Bay

06 February, 2014

The New Zealand owned winery has bought a 41-hectare property in the sought-after Gimblett Gravels sub-region in Hawkes Bay.

Renowned in wine circles Gimblett Gravels covers 800ha, and produces some of New Zealand’s finest full bodied red wines.

The property contains vineyard and a portion of bare land which helps to secure Villa Maria’s grape supply from this widely regarded region.

Villa Maria says the purchase cements its position as the largest landholder in the Gimblett Gravels with ownership of a third of the official ‘Gimblett Gravels vine growing district’.

Formerly owned and managed by Pask Winery, the vineyard has in the past supplied grapes for Villa Maria wines that were surplus to Pask Winery’s requirements.

Villa Maria owner and founder Sir George Fistonich said: “There is fierce competition to purchase more vineyards in this very limited premium wine area. We’re seeing strong growth in demand for red wines particularly in Asia, so securing our grape supply is crucial to meeting our customer requirements. The Gimblett Gravels is a very unique area renowned for making some of the country’s best wines,”





Digital Edition

Drinks International digital edition is available ahead of the printed magazine. Don’t miss out, make sure you subscribe today to access the digital edition and all archived editions of Drinks International as part of your subscription.

Comment

La'Mel Clarke

Service isn’t servitude: the skill of hosting

La’Mel Clarke, front of house at London’s Seed Library, looks at the forgotten art of hosting and why it deserves the same respect as bartending.

Instagram

Facebook