Saturday, June 15, 2019

Villa Maria's First Sip Of Summer

This week Villa Maria Estate presented their seasonal #FirstSipNZ witter campaign and this chat featured a trio of ready for summer wines.  The winery is one of New Zealand's most famous having operated for six decades starting as a one acre - one man shop in 1961 and growing to where founder George Fistonich is inducted to Restaurant and Hospitality Hall of Fame.  Fortunately, these wineries are widely distributed across the United States so here are some tweets why you may want to pick up a bottle or two...


Villa Maria 2018 Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough ($14)

The grapes were sourced from the Awatere and Wairau Valleys - spreading from coastal Wairau to a higher altitude in Awatere (900 feet). This provides a  mixture of warmer and cooler vineyard sites which showcase the herbal and tropical notes.




Villa Maria 2018 Private Bin Rosé, Hawkes Bay ($15)

This blend is predominately Merlot, which is the most widely planted red variety in Hawkes Bay as this region is a much warmer climate than Marlborough.




Villa Maria 2015 Cellar Selection Pinot Noir, Marlborough ($26)

The grapes for this wine also derive from diverse sites in the Awatere and Wairau Valleys with the 2015 vintage considered a strong year. As the Cellar Selection label designates this wine offers more aromatics, weight, and complexity.






Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this wine free from Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and Villa Maria as part of their First Sip Of Summer Twitter Tasting. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.

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