5 minute read
VILLA MARIA
InvestIng In wIne busIness growth
Villa Maria’s renovated Hawkes Bay cellar door in the Gimblett Gravels.
Since Sir George Fistonich started Villa Maria in the 1960s it has grown from a one-man operation to one of the country’s largest and most respected wine producers. Over 50 years it has acquired vineyards and brands around New Zealand, built three large wineries and added several new brands and ranges.
Now it is setting its sights on becoming one of the world’s great wine companies. To fund that goal it is looking to raise additional capital to invest in its global growth strategy and has started by selling 31ha of vineyard land at its headquarters and winery, now surrounded by suburbs and industrial development in Mangere, Auckland, and the Vidal winery site in Hastings.
Another part of this process is restructuring its brand portfolio. Villa Maria wines range from supermarket staples to some of the country’s most iconic such as Ngakirikiri The Gravels or Keltern Chardonnay, and Single Vineyard and Reserve wines.
Villa Maria has also acquired three Hawkes Bay wineries over the years, Vidal, Esk Valley and Te Awa/Leftfield.
Recently Villa consolidated all the Hawkes Bay winemaking in a large new winery commissioned for the 2018 vintage, says group chief winemaker Nick Picone.
“From those four brands operating independently we now had to operate under one roof sharing resources. A lot of logistics were quite challenging to work though and, to be quite honest, it’s taken us a couple of years to get there,” he said.
“It was long overdue that we pause and reflect on where the company’s at and whether it’s still relevant to have all these brands and complexity. Then Covid came and it put more pressure on the need to come out of that leaner, smarter, more focused,” Nick said.
The focus is now on the Villa Maria brand which is 85% of the company’s production. The other 15% was spread across five different brands which was costly and complex and has been rejigged.
The Esk Valley winery in Bayview, north of Napier, has been decommissioned and its winemaking moved to the new winery although the historic open concrete vats that gave such character to its red wines have been replicated.
Nick Picone, chief winemaker at Villa Maria.
Esk Valley has been repositioned as a boutique Hawkes Bay producer and has its own space in the Villa Maria Gimblett Gravels visitor centre beside the new winery.
This visitor centre and restaurant overlooking the vines is now the public face of Villa Maria in the Bay. Besides the main tasting room, the Esk lounge and private tasting facilities, the restaurant overlooking the vines offers small plates and platters. It has been remodelled from the former Te Awa cellar door but the trademark windmill is still at the gate.
The Te Awa label has gone, but one of its brands, Leftfield with its quirky labels, has been remodelled as a lifestyle brand.
The historic Vidal winery in Hastings, where older locals remember playing in the vats as children, is now the site of a retirement village and the brand, stripped of its various tiers, now joins Thornbury as a mainly supermarket and export brand. Villa Maria’s Platinum range introduced a few years ago has also been discontinued.
Villa Maria retains its other ranges, Private Bin, the gold label Cellar Selection, the black label Reserves and the Single Vineyard wines with a new white label.
It has also introduced a new organic range, Earth Garden. Villa Maria started converting its vineyards to organics about 16 years ago and now 30% (about 100ha) are certified.
“When I walk into one of our organic blocks and notice the increase in life in that vineyard block, I feel good about that — about that fruit, about tasting that fruit, about being in that environment, about making wine from that fruit,” Nick says.
He is also excited about the future of albariño, a Spanish white variety that is finding favour in New Zealand. They already produce Leftfield and Cellar Selection albariños from Gisborne, and have recently introduced a Single Vineyard Braided Gravels albariño from the company’s Gimblett Gravels vineyards. Esk Valley will also have one from 2020.
“Villa Maria’s had a history of experimentation with niche varietals and albariño is one of the few that has galvanised our viticulturists, winemakers and marketing areas around its true potential,” he said.
Not only does it perform well in the vineyard being resistant to disease, humidity and drought, it also makes exciting wine.
“It has that acidity and salinity and vibrant fruit - Kiwis are used to a diet of fresh, crisp white wines and this offers it.”
He is also excited about the future of Hawkes Bay chardonnay, especially after the stunning 2019 vintage. Master Sommelier Cameron Douglas has selected a representative dozen of diverse styles from Hawkes Bay producers to be sent to overseas wine writers to showcase the variety.
“I truely believe that chardonnay is a hero and great for the region. The obvious challenge in front of us is it’s one of the most widely planted grapes in the world. Marlborough sauvignon blanc has its positioning because the style is so unique, whereas everyone makes chardonnay. But what you can say is that the quality and consistency of our chardonnay, even the value of them when they are stacked up next to Burgundy, sets Hawkes Bay apart,” Nick said.
Another of the jewels in Hawkes Bay’s crown is its Bordeaux varieties, merlot and cabernet sauvignon, but this category is stagnant at present due to market trends.
“The irony the wines today are arguably the greatest wine’s we’ve produced in the history of Hawkes Bay red winemaking. I don’t think the category thing is to do with the quality of the wine, it’s to do with consumer trends,” he said.
“That whole trend of the world looking for charming, easy drinking affordable wines is explained why those aromatic and softer styles of wine like pinot gris are continuing to do really well.”
Besides making lots of on-trend rosé they are also exploring other red varieties, such as cabernet franc and tempranillo which can produce lighter, fresher, easydrinking reds.
But meanwhile they are excited about their 2019 top-end reds. It’s one of the greatest ever vintages, he says - a handy tip for those who are not swayed by the ups and downs of fashion trends and love this classic style.
Besides the new Hawkes Bay cellar door in the Gimblett Gravels, tastings are also available at all Villa Maria’s other wineries, the large Marlborough winery, and tasting room and restaurant at the winery near the Mangere airport in South Auckland.
