{"id":30116,"date":"2017-01-08T11:48:38","date_gmt":"2017-01-08T16:48:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/?p=30116"},"modified":"2017-01-11T13:15:02","modified_gmt":"2017-01-11T18:15:02","slug":"villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/","title":{"rendered":"Surprising Pairings for Villa Maria Wines from Antipasto to Steak"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xs_-oKmX1nI\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Canada&#8217;s top wine writers and sommeliers gathered in the nation&#8217;s capital for a comprehensive tasting of Villa Maria wines from New Zealand.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Terry-Jeans-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-25189\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Terry-Jeans-2-185x300.jpg\" alt=\"Terry Jeans 2\" width=\"129\" height=\"209\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Terry-Jeans-2-185x300.jpg 185w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Terry-Jeans-2-633x1024.jpg 633w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Terry-Jeans-2.jpg 1563w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 129px) 100vw, 129px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Terry Jeans<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Wine Writer, Ottawa Wine Guide<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>What an elaborate tasting!<\/p>\n<p>We had the chance to have an amazing tasting with one of the viticulturists from Villa Maria\u2013 Ollie Powrie, who presented us with an insightful session of tasting over a dozen wines from one of the only New Zealand owned and family operated wineries.<\/p>\n<p>Founded and owned by the venerated Sir George Fistonich, a real icon of the wine industry, who has been part of the NZ wine business for the last 55 years.\u00a0 He is known as a real innovator in the industry because his company has been able to adapt to the constantly changing trends in the industry and continually produce world-class wines.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/tj-group-at-table\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30516\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30516\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/TJ-Group-at-Table.jpg\" alt=\"tj-group-at-table\" width=\"559\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/TJ-Group-at-Table.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/TJ-Group-at-Table-300x181.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 559px) 100vw, 559px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Terry Jeans<\/p>\n<p>As an example, they were one of the first to move into different regions of NZ, the first to employ a full-time viticulturist, and was the first winery to commit completely to the screw cap.\u00a0 Obviously, these decisions have worked out because they are now the biggest winery in NZ.<\/p>\n<p>The most surprising fact that I learned from the tasting is that NZ, and especially Villa Maria, is capable of producing several delicious and unconventional varietals, outside the typical wines found on our shelves (i.e. Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/tj-food-1\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30517\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30517\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/TJ-Food-1.jpg\" alt=\"tj-food-1\" width=\"515\" height=\"364\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/TJ-Food-1.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/TJ-Food-1-300x212.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 515px) 100vw, 515px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Terry Jeans<\/p>\n<p>Villa Maria runs a rich research and development program that seems to be constantly pushing the boundaries and supporting the newest trends.\u00a0 This seems inherent from the culture that has been built by Sir George.<\/p>\n<p>We tasted some very interesting Pinot Gris, Spanish varietal Albarino, and some sublime Syrah.\u00a0 Also, if you look on their website (http:\/\/www.villamaria.co.nz\/wines) they dabble in varietals from around the world: Riesling, Viognier, Gew\u00fcrztraminer, and Grenache. There are crisp dry wines and sparkling, rich reds to botrytis infected sweet wines.\u00a0 Very Impressive!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/tj-bottle-shot\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30518\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30518\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/TJ-Bottle-Shot.jpg\" alt=\"tj-bottle-shot\" width=\"538\" height=\"656\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/TJ-Bottle-Shot.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/TJ-Bottle-Shot-246x300.jpg 246w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 538px) 100vw, 538px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Terry Jeans<\/p>\n<p>Villa Maria is NZ\u2019s most awarded winery and for good reason, this has been their focus from the beginning- to concentrate on quality.\u00a0 We observed this as we went along the tasting with Ollie, from their entry level Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to the 50th Anniversary Syrah from the Gimblett Gravels, in Hawkes Bay.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond the quality is the astounding value that some of these wines represent for the consumer. The price point of their various levels of quality are almost all good value and well worth trying.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dxUohbMl87A\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/David-Skinner-Australia.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-24697\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/David-Skinner-Australia.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"130\" height=\"163\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>David Skinner<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Wine &amp; Travel Columnist, Outdoor Magazine<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Villa Maria\u2019s Secret to Success: Grapes, Terroir and People <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Passion, determination and teamwork are the hallmarks of excellence underpinning the success of Villa Maria wines. No doubt these attributes are the legacy of the company\u2019s founder, Sir George Fistonich, who started with just 5 acres of leased land upon which he could grow grapes and a roadside stand to sell his meager production.<\/p>\n<p>From those humble beginnings a global brand emerged by never losing sight of those key elements that Sir George held dear.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/image1-2\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30384\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-30384\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/image1-2.jpg\" alt=\"image1-2\" width=\"630\" height=\"743\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/image1-2.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/image1-2-254x300.jpg 254w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a>Photo by David Skinner<\/p>\n<p>Villa Maria has two key individuals who are responsible for delivering their founder\u2019s vinous vision to the world. The Chief Winemaker (Nick Picone) and the viticulturist (Oliver Powrie) work in harmony to grow the best grapes and to inovatively transform the fruit into wines of character and distinction.<\/p>\n<p>The character imparted by the careful selection of terroir and vinification techniques is obvious in their offerings. The distinction is evidenced by their numerous awards for their craft, having laid claim to being the most awarded winery in New Zealand for over 30 years.<\/p>\n<p>The innovative approach to developing new grape varieties and production techniques has also garnered a special place for oenophiles everywhere.<\/p>\n<p>Some of Ottawa\u2019s notable wine writers were fortunate enough to be treated to a fabulous presentation by Ollie Powrie along with a flight wines from the recently released 2016 vintage. Since the antipodean seasons mirror the northern climes, the 2016 wines got their start during the cool of October, 2015.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/ds-3-plates\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30385\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-30385\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/DS-3-plates.jpg\" alt=\"ds-3-plates\" width=\"630\" height=\"551\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/DS-3-plates.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/DS-3-plates-300x262.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a>Photo by David Skinner<\/p>\n<p>This raised some concern for wine makers but the extended warm weather through the growing season prompted a sigh of relief as vineyard vigour flourished. New Zealand is fortunate to have a full six-month growing season so the wines can mature longer and withstand some brief aberrations in climate.<\/p>\n<p>Harvest in the second quarter of 2016 saw lots of fruit readiness simultaneously and created logistical challenges for the crush. Ollie emphasized that the decision to pick isn\u2019t made on the basis of a set target for sugar content.<\/p>\n<p>While the brix levels are steadily monitored to ensure the fruit is sufficiently ripe, the real test is contingent upon the way the grapes taste in the field. The flavours of the flesh and the texture of the seeds all are important considerations in the decision about when to move the fruit from the vine to the winery.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/ds-mussels\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30386\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30386\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/DS-Mussels.jpg\" alt=\"ds-mussels\" width=\"521\" height=\"414\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/DS-Mussels.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/DS-Mussels-300x239.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 521px) 100vw, 521px\" \/><\/a>Photo by David Skinner<\/p>\n<p>The selection of small plates from Vittoria Trattoria restaurant provided a canvas for the wine pairings that were offered. Starting with New Zealand\u2019s number one sparkling wine, the Lightly Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc, and finishing with a very special 50th anniversary Syrah from a single Gimblett Gravels plot, the wines all were solid performers and a number of them absolutely outstanding.<\/p>\n<p>Notable favorites were from the Cellar Select series. The best being the Syrah from Hawkes bay, the Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir.<\/p>\n<p>Villa Maria\u2019s constant effort to find new ways to make wine and new varietals to develop have resulted in a number of \u201cR&amp;D\u201d labels that are only sold at the cellar door (making a trip to New Zealand mandatory).<\/p>\n<p>But some of these experimental examples do make it to broader commercial availability and one of these was a delightfully different wine for the region. The Cellar Selection Albari\u00f1o was a delightful surprise reminiscent of the Bay of Biscay namesake wines. Served with mussels in a white wine sauce this was a fabulous match.<\/p>\n<p>Sir George should be proud of the accomplishments of his team. He is an originator and his resume is replete with \u201cfirsts\u201d such as being the first to commit to Stelvin closures to greater ensure the enjoyability of their wines.<\/p>\n<p>He manages to have one of the country\u2019s largest wine companies but still behaves like it is a boutique. The obvious quality in every wine is the progeny of teamwork and a commitment to pushing the boundaries to improve the tasting experience of every wine consumer.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QR1bskSqMQw\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Jane-Staples-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-25023\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Jane-Staples-1.jpg\" alt=\"Jane Staples 1\" width=\"148\" height=\"148\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Jane-Staples-1.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Jane-Staples-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Jane-Staples-1-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 148px) 100vw, 148px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jane Staples<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Wine Columnist, Ottawa Wedding Magazine<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Wine tasting can be a terrific sensory adventure, enhanced by the circumstances and environment during the tasting.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">On Nov. 15th, I had the great opportunity to taste several fine wines from New Zealand\u2019s Villa Maria Estates Winery, along with their viticulturist Ollie Powrie, at Ottawa\u2019s Trattoria Vittoria Restaurant.<\/p>\n<p>Trattoria provided a quiet, spacious room and served delicious tapas and a leisurely lunch that perfectly suited the wines we were studying.\u00a0 Presto!\u00a0 We had a comfortable, hospitable environment, allowing us to focus on the wines and Ollie\u2019s presentation.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/js-food\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30465\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-30465\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/JS-Food.jpg\" alt=\"js-food\" width=\"630\" height=\"473\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/JS-Food.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/JS-Food-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Jane Staples<\/p>\n<p>Villa Maria was started in 1961 by George Fistonich, when he leased 5 acres of land from his father and planted one acre of vines.\u00a0 Today, after 50 years, his commitment and determination have built Villa Maria into New Zealand\u2019s leading award-winning winery.<\/p>\n<p>It operates as a boutique winery because they aim for quality production over quantity and work with the land and nature to produce premium wine quality while respecting the principles of sustainable viticulture.<br \/>\nThroughout the tasting, I noticed the great respect that Ollie shows for George.\u00a0 It was clear that part of the success of Villa Maria is the close teamwork of their staff and respect they have for one another, along with their respect for nature.<\/p>\n<p>The attitude of dedication reminded me of a comment I recently read by noted wine journalist Marcelo Copello, who said that \u201cwine is a liquid that connects us directly to nature, a place, origin, the people who produce it, and the culture of those people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/js-mussels\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30466\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30466\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/JS-Mussels.jpg\" alt=\"js-mussels\" width=\"526\" height=\"599\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/JS-Mussels.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/JS-Mussels-264x300.jpg 264w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 526px) 100vw, 526px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Jane Staples<\/p>\n<p>Ollie shared a great deal of information about the wines and viticultural practices at Villa Maria as we tasted more than a dozen of their products, starting with Villa Maria\u2019s Lightly Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc, which is New Zealand\u2019s #1 selling sparkling wine.<\/p>\n<p>We sampled crisp and flavourful Sauv Blanc\u2019s, refreshing\u00a0 Pinot Gris, a unique Albari\u00f1o, (unusual for New Zealand but already winning awards after only a few years on the market), a lush Chardonnay and a vibrant Ros\u00e9.<\/p>\n<p>Reds were award-winning Pinot Noir, a Cab Sauv-Merlot blend as well as two Syrahs.\u00a0 For our final wine, we tasted the Anniversary Release Syrah from the standout vintage of 2011, developed to celebrate Villa Maria\u2019s 50th Anniversary.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/js-bottles\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30467\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30467\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/JS-Bottles.jpg\" alt=\"js-bottles\" width=\"521\" height=\"322\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/JS-Bottles.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/JS-Bottles-300x185.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 521px) 100vw, 521px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Jane Staples<\/p>\n<p>Commitment, respect, passion and skill; these are the key elements that have made Villa Maria Estates such a successful winery.\u00a0 It\u2019s a winning combination.\u00a0 For our tasting team, this was a successful educational tasting experience and a great pleasure.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cqAfIHZHQes\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/?attachment_id=27979\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-27979\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-27979\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Lori-Kilmartin-2016.jpg\" alt=\"Lori Kilmartin 2016\" width=\"155\" height=\"155\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Lori-Kilmartin-2016.jpg 512w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Lori-Kilmartin-2016-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Lori-Kilmartin-2016-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Lori-Kilmartin-2016-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 155px) 100vw, 155px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Lori Kilmartin<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Sommelier &amp; Blogger<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">I think the saying on Villa Maria\u2019s website under \u201cOur People\u201d says it all.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u201c<em>YOU DON&#8217;T BECOME NEW ZEALAND&#8217;S MOST AWARDED WINERY AND CREATE ONE OF THE WORLD&#8217;S MOST ADMIRED BRANDS WITHOUT A COMMITTED AND LONGSTANDING TEAM<\/em>\u201d<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/lk-label-shot-syrah-1\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30521\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30521\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/LK-Label-Shot-Syrah-1.jpg\" alt=\"lk-label-shot-syrah-1\" width=\"476\" height=\"682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/LK-Label-Shot-Syrah-1.jpg 629w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/LK-Label-Shot-Syrah-1-209x300.jpg 209w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 476px) 100vw, 476px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Lori Kilmartin<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Tasting through many of Villa Maria\u2019s wines with Viticulturist Ollie (Oliver) Powrie really brought this home. His admiration and respect for owner and founder Sir George Fistonich was evident.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">He called him a visionary, an innovative thinker and emphasized how his passion for winemaking was key to the success of Villa Maria. This passion was clearly shared by Ollie himself.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/villa_maria_ollie_powrie\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30524\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30524\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa_Maria_Ollie_Powrie.jpg\" alt=\"villa_maria_ollie_powrie\" width=\"436\" height=\"489\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa_Maria_Ollie_Powrie.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa_Maria_Ollie_Powrie-267x300.jpg 267w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 436px) 100vw, 436px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Lori Kilmartin<\/p>\n<p>Ollie talked about how Sir George was the first to do many things when it came to winemaking in New Zealand. He was the first of the large companies to put his whole range of wines into screwcap; the first to encourage growers to focus on quality and not quantity; the first to employ female sales agents; and the first to employ a Viticulturist.<\/p>\n<p>At wine awards, rather than go up to receive accolades and prizes himself, he would send up members of his team \u2013 something that was never done in the past.<\/p>\n<p>The culture at Villa Maria is clearly one of teamwork, hard work and respect. Respect for the other team members as well as the vineyards.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/villa_maria_chardonnay\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30525\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30525\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa_Maria_Chardonnay.jpg\" alt=\"villa_maria_chardonnay\" width=\"441\" height=\"739\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa_Maria_Chardonnay.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa_Maria_Chardonnay-179x300.jpg 179w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa_Maria_Chardonnay-611x1024.jpg 611w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 441px) 100vw, 441px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Lori Kilmartin<\/p>\n<p>Ollie stated that their goal is to \u201cdo what is right\u201d and to \u201cleave the vineyards better than found\u201d. In 1999 they started growing organically and the goal is to be 50% organic by 2020.<\/p>\n<p>The whole team works closely together \u2013 Ollie shares an office with Chief Winemaker Nick Picone and said that the winemakers spend just as much time in the vineyards as in the labs.<\/p>\n<p>The diverse range of quality wines tasted with Ollie are a testament to the success of Villa Maria. Their goal is to operate as a Boutique Winery; even though they are one of the largest in New Zealand.<\/p>\n<p>I could go on about the mouth-watering Sauvignon Blanc, the creamy Private Bin Chardonnay, and my favourite, the juicy Cellar Selection Pinot Noir; along with many other wines we tasted with Ollie. But instead, invite you to visit the reviews on this site, and read about my, Natalie\u2019s and my peers\u2019, in-depth reviews instead.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/villa_maria_syrah_anniversary\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30526\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30526\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa_Maria_Syrah_Anniversary.jpg\" alt=\"villa_maria_syrah_anniversary\" width=\"402\" height=\"416\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa_Maria_Syrah_Anniversary.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa_Maria_Syrah_Anniversary-290x300.jpg 290w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 402px) 100vw, 402px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Lori Kilmartin<\/p>\n<p>That \u2013 and next time you are in the LCBO \u2013 head to the New Zealand section and pick up a bottle of Villa Maria for yourself!!<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Lynn-Vanderlinde.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-24710\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Lynn-Vanderlinde.jpeg\" alt=\"Lynn Vanderlinde\" width=\"120\" height=\"120\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Lynn-Vanderlinde.jpeg 120w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Lynn-Vanderlinde-60x60.jpeg 60w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 120px) 100vw, 120px\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0Lynn van der Linde<br \/>\nCertified Sommelier and Event Planner<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">I had the pleasure of participating in an informative and entertaining afternoon spent with Ollie Powrie, Viticulturist for Villa Maria Winery.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/ollie-lynn\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30401\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30401\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Ollie-Lynn.jpg\" alt=\"ollie-lynn\" width=\"285\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Ollie-Lynn.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Ollie-Lynn-253x300.jpg 253w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 285px) 100vw, 285px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Lynn van der Linde<\/p>\n<p>The afternoon opened with a preview of holiday celebrations as we sipped the 2015 Lightly Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc. This best-selling bottle of bubbles retains its classic Sauvignon Blanc zest, while transforming on the palate to develop a luscious finish. The slight fizz accentuates both the nose and mouth feel, for an experience that can best be described as festive.<\/p>\n<p>As we moved to the more classic expressions of Sauvignon Blanc, I learned that viticulturists in New Zealand rarely employ leaf cutting prior to harvest in order to prevent the UV sun rays from damaging the purity of the fruit. This is especially noted in the pure bouquet and flavours of the Reserve Clifford Bay Sauvignon Blanc.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/lynn-bottles\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30402\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-30402\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Lynn-Bottles.jpg\" alt=\"lynn-bottles\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Lynn-Bottles.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Lynn-Bottles-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Lynn van der Linde<\/p>\n<p>I was also pleasantly surprised to hear that many of the Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc productions include an influence of lees, where the must will sit on the lees for a period of time to promote a fuller, almost oaky character to the wine.<\/p>\n<p>A trailblazer on many fronts, Villa Maria founder George Fistonich continues to reinvent not only his wines, but what the world has come to know and love about New Zealand wine. In 1961, at the age of twenty-one, George decided to go against his father\u2019s wishes to become a carpenter, leased five acres of the family plot to plant grapevines and started Villa Maria Winery, creating his first vintage in 1962.<\/p>\n<p>By the early 1980s, he rallied for grape growers to be paid based on quality production versus quantity, and by the end of the 80s he was exporting Villa Maria wines around the globe. He was also the first wine owner to employ women as wine sale reps in an almost exclusive male dominated industry, and in 2001 he made the bold decision to become the first cork-free winery and move to one hundred percent Stelvin closures, or screw caps.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/ollie-3\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30409\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30409\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Ollie-2.jpg\" alt=\"ollie\" width=\"335\" height=\"446\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Ollie-2.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Ollie-2-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 335px) 100vw, 335px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Lynn van der Linde<\/p>\n<p>And while George has grown his business to be one of New Zealand\u2019s largest wineries, with a brand that\u2019s now recognized around the world, he still ensures that it operates like a boutique shop \u2013 from getting to know everyone who works for the winery, to managing the highest quality production.<\/p>\n<p>George ploughed the path for New Zealand winemakers and viticulturists to constantly reinvent themselves and the wines they produce, and has built a superb team of experts to keep the legacy going.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/side-by-side\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30405\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30405\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Side-by-Side.jpg\" alt=\"side-by-side\" width=\"503\" height=\"334\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Side-by-Side.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Side-by-Side-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 503px) 100vw, 503px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Lynn van der Linde<\/p>\n<p>Congratulations Villa Maria on creating such beautifully distinct New Zealand wines for the world to enjoy!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cK-MKJlx9hM\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Pam-Chiles.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-25024\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Pam-Chiles.jpg\" alt=\"Pam Chiles\" width=\"142\" height=\"154\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Pam-Chiles.jpg 370w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Pam-Chiles-276x300.jpg 276w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 142px) 100vw, 142px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Pam Chiles<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Wine &amp; Food Blogger<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A few hours spent discovering and tasting new wines is always rather enjoyable and informative.\u00a0 At Vittoria Trattoria we met Villa Maria\u2019s viticulturalist, Ollie Powrie, and sampled a number of wines from a cross-section of their portfolio.<\/p>\n<p>Villa Maria is the second largest wine producer in New Zealand, with vineyards, grape growers and wineries in four of the main wine-growing regions of NZ.<\/p>\n<p>The family-owned company was founded in 1961 by a young George Fistonich, who is, by all accounts, quite an innovator and visionary.\u00a0 Among his notable \u201cfirsts\u201d: conversion in 2001 to the use of screw caps (at great risk to sales!), employer of New Zealand\u2019s first viticulturalist, and also an early planter of Pinot Gris in NZ (approximately 15 years ago).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/pc-sauv-blanc-and-notes\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30529\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30529\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/PC-Sauv-Blanc-and-notes.jpg\" alt=\"pc-sauv-blanc-and-notes\" width=\"514\" height=\"685\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/PC-Sauv-Blanc-and-notes.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/PC-Sauv-Blanc-and-notes-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 514px) 100vw, 514px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Pam Chiles<\/p>\n<p>The Villa Maria wines we tasted are consistently well-crafted and appealing across the range. The structure, balance and individuality found in the wines results from the close integration of vineyard management and winemaking and from dedication to quality.<\/p>\n<p>According to Ollie, this quest for quality sometimes leads to friendly competition amongst vineyard managers and winemakers!<\/p>\n<p>There is always something new and interesting to learn and in this case, not surprisingly, much was about viticulture.\u00a0 For instance, Sauvignon Blanc is notorious for growth\/fruit production variation year to year.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/pc-sparkling-sauv-blanc\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30530\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30530\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/PC-Sparkling-Sauv-Blanc.jpg\" alt=\"pc-sparkling-sauv-blanc\" width=\"514\" height=\"547\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/PC-Sparkling-Sauv-Blanc.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/PC-Sparkling-Sauv-Blanc-282x300.jpg 282w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 514px) 100vw, 514px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Pam Chiles<\/p>\n<p>So vineyard management is crucial \u2013 too much fruit in one year and the vines struggle to retain carbohydrates for the next growing season.\u00a0 For this reason, as much as 40% of the crop may be removed before ripening (green harvest).<\/p>\n<p>We also tasted a fabulous Albarino (very small production ~ 250 cases), an oddity for NZ. Vines were imported and planted in 2009 by a grower couple who were quite taken with the wines they drank on a trip to Spain.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/pc-beef\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30531\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30531\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/PC-Beef.jpg\" alt=\"pc-beef\" width=\"567\" height=\"351\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/PC-Beef.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/PC-Beef-300x186.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 567px) 100vw, 567px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Pam Chiles<\/p>\n<p>A small portion of some wines, particularly Chardonnay, are allowed to ferment naturally on wild yeasts. Different vineyards have different naturally-occurring yeast strains, leading to desirable variation in the resulting wines.<\/p>\n<p>There were some \u201csurprise\u201d bottles that showed up at this tasting, including a spectacular 2011 \u201c50th Anniversary\u201d Syrah. Sadly, a rarity and difficult (maybe impossible?) to find over here.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/pc-screen-capture\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30532\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-30532\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/PC-Screen-Capture.jpg\" alt=\"pc-screen-capture\" width=\"630\" height=\"408\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/PC-Screen-Capture.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/PC-Screen-Capture-300x194.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Pam Childs<\/p>\n<p>On the whole, the New Zealand wines, with their fruitiness and great acidity, went well with the Italian appetizers and small plates, a fun cross-cultural mash-up!\u00a0 No doubt they would pair well with a variety of cuisines &#8211; bring on the Greeks!<\/p>\n<p>Given their overall impressiveness, it would be nice to see more of Villa Maria\u2019s wines available in the LCBO, particularly their mid- and higher-end ranges.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/pc-pinot-gris\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30533\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-30533\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/PC-Pinot-Gris.jpg\" alt=\"pc-pinot-gris\" width=\"630\" height=\"631\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/PC-Pinot-Gris.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/PC-Pinot-Gris-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/PC-Pinot-Gris-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/PC-Pinot-Gris-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Pam Chiles<\/p>\n<p>Thanks to Vittoria Trattoria for a smashing job with the food and service!<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4TJ0RJx8lv4\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Rachelle-3.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-25028\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Rachelle-3.jpeg\" alt=\"Rachelle 3\" width=\"146\" height=\"146\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Rachelle-3.jpeg 240w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Rachelle-3-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Rachelle-3-60x60.jpeg 60w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 146px) 100vw, 146px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Rachelle O\u2019Connor<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Wine Blogger &amp; Sommelier Judge<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>It was a beautiful November day in the Byward Market of Ottawa where we visited Vittoria Trattoria for a &#8220;Family Style&#8221; Winemaker luncheon.\u00a0\u00a0 This time, it was the award-winning Viticulturist, Olvier Powrie who made the trek to Canada, just days prior to the New Zealand earthquakes that we learned about earlier in the week.<\/p>\n<p>Ollie had already been briefed on some of the assessed damage to certain vineyards and was awaiting more information as it unraveled.\u00a0 We were pleased to hear that his family was unharmed.<\/p>\n<p>First and foremost, it was immediately evident that Ollie was a people person &#8211; he was warm and engaging. We witnessed a very passionate and knowledgeable team that could not be more proud to travel the word and talk about these wines and the journey to the finished product; coupled with their obvious dedication and respect for the Villa Maria Estate and founder.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/ollie\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30392\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30392\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Ollie.jpg\" alt=\"ollie\" width=\"405\" height=\"685\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Ollie.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Ollie-177x300.jpg 177w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Ollie-605x1024.jpg 605w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 405px) 100vw, 405px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Rachelle O\u2019Connor<\/p>\n<p>Sir George Fistonich &#8211; who is the owner of Villa Maria Estate founded the company in 1961 &#8211; bringing him to a celebrated 55 years of wine making &#8211; which I may add, is part of his DNA.\u00a0 He is so passionate about this accomplishment with his team and sees a strong connection between viticulture (Oliver Powrie) and winemaking (Nick Picone) &#8211; &#8220;they go hand in hand&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>A pioneer in his field, Sir George is widely admired for his &#8220;grassroots&#8221; story &#8211; from the early days of setting up a retail cart adjacent to his tiny vineyard trying to attract buyers on the side of the road &#8211; to vast landscapes of multiple vineyards spanning regions &#8211; it is a true success story.<\/p>\n<p>What I enjoyed hearing most from Ollie is that Sir George is a people person and that his &#8220;vision&#8221; has not wavered over the decades.\u00a0 Villa Maria upholds\u00a0 &#8220;a commitment to quality and innovation&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>He understands the crucial contribution from all members of his team and works tirelessly to build on their strengths.\u00a0 He places a strong emphasis on teamwork and cooperation, noting them as pillars for the company&#8217;s success.<\/p>\n<p>It was evident, as Ollie spoke so fondly of Sir George, that it likely resonates across the Estate back in NZ.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/albarino-ro\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30393\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30393\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Albarino-RO.jpg\" alt=\"albarino-ro\" width=\"509\" height=\"416\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Albarino-RO.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Albarino-RO-300x245.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 509px) 100vw, 509px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Rachelle O\u2019Connor<\/p>\n<p>The wines we tried ranged from Pinot Gris to SB, Chardonnay to Rose, and Pinot Noir to Syrah.\u00a0 One of the most interesting wines to taste for me was the Albarino.<\/p>\n<p>From a winemaking perspective, Albarino was something new to try in NZ, with the vines imported from Spain.\u00a0 It was a risk, replanting the vines in the hopes of it translating into a well received final product.<\/p>\n<p>I can appreciate the immense thought process and efforts that would have gone into this &#8211; from start to finish.\u00a0 I will also note that the 2014 Cellar Selection Syrah was definitely a personal favorite &#8211; what a Vintage!<\/p>\n<p>Another point of interest was, undoubtedly, learning that Villa Maria was the first winery in NZ to employ women as wine reps, and also the first winery to employ and recognize the invaluable asset of a Viticulturist on the team. (Congrats Ollie &#8211; celebrating his 10th harvest!)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/ro-food\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30394\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30394\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/RO-Food.jpg\" alt=\"ro-food\" width=\"480\" height=\"351\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/RO-Food.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/RO-Food-300x220.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Rachelle O\u2019Connor<\/p>\n<p>I also enjoyed the part of the discussion where Ollie shared some innovative facts about production, noting the company&#8217;s leadership role in switching to all screw cap and also the decision to have all bottle production occur in Auckland &#8211; where they also purchase most of the bottles.<\/p>\n<p>Again, this was a clear demonstration that the product knowledge extends beyond just what is in the bottle and that the entire team works well together sharing ideas, experience and skill which undeniably has led to these greater overall achievements.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/anniversary-syrah\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30395\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30395\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Anniversary-Syrah.jpg\" alt=\"anniversary-syrah\" width=\"505\" height=\"330\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Anniversary-Syrah.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Anniversary-Syrah-300x196.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 505px) 100vw, 505px\" \/><\/a>Photo by Rachelle O\u2019Connor<\/p>\n<p>Natalie, thank you for the invite, and Ollie thank you for sharing your knowledge and passion!<\/p>\n<p>I definitely walked away with an an elevated level of respect for the well deserved successes of Sir George &amp; Family, Ollie, Nick and the entire crew of Villa Maria Estate.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/?attachment_id=28397\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-28397\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-28397\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Sylvain-Segard.jpg\" alt=\"Sylvain Segard\" width=\"164\" height=\"164\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Sylvain-Segard.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Sylvain-Segard-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Sylvain-Segard-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Sylvain-Segard-60x60.jpg 60w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 164px) 100vw, 164px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Sylvain Segard<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Accredited Sommelier<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Sir George Fistonich founded the Villa Maria Estate in Auckland, New Zealand in 1961. He wasn&#8217;t knighted in those days and he sure did not have any servants to cultivate the vines for him either.\u00a0 In fact, in those days, he was a tenant of a small parcel of land and planted his first vines himself.<\/p>\n<p>He eventually established a make shift winery on the side of the road and, as the wine business caught on, he gradually acquired parcels of his own land.\u00a0 Today, Villa Maria Wineries has become one of New Zealand\u2019s big three producers.<\/p>\n<p>They own four wineries throughout New Zealand. It won many wine awards and accolades over the years.\u00a0 It now exports wines in all major world markets.<\/p>\n<p>Sir Fistonich\u2019s single minded pursuit of excellence in wine growing and winemaking is well-known and his influence on the New Zealand wine industry is equally respected.\u00a0 Yet, fifty-five years later, the down to earth character of the man remains evident to those around him.<\/p>\n<p>Even to us, the members of the Natalie MacLean\u2019s wine review team, who participated in a workshop at the Vittoria Trattoria Restaurant in Ottawa on November 15, 2016, lead by Ollie Powrie, the head viticulturalist at Villa Maria, who was touring Canada to introduce the wineries\u2019 2016 vintage.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-28077\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Monique-Sousa-2.jpg\" alt=\"Monique Sousa 2\" width=\"120\" height=\"180\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Monique Sosa<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Wine Columnist, Ottawa Family Living Magazine<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps no other winery in New Zealand could recite a legacy like Villa Maria.\u00a0 In case you haven&#8217;t heard, this all started over 50 years ago by one man making wine out of his roadside shed in Mangere, near Auckland.<\/p>\n<p>He made dry red and white wines from grapes he planted on five acres of land leased from his dad. Can you just imagine having a neighbour like George Fistonich &#8211; principal and original winemaker for Villa Maria &#8211; coming over to your place to offer you his &#8220;shed-made wine&#8221;?<\/p>\n<p>Back then it probably didn&#8217;t seem like anything to be excited about, but today, his iconic wines are sold worldwide.\u00a0 His company employs over 250 full-time staff, his direction for innovation continues to soar, and his emphasis on sustainability is paramount to his company.<\/p>\n<p>Reflecting on the Villa Maria journey, I have learned that, for about a decade, Villa Maria was a one-man show. Aside from the support of his wife Gail, George had no staff until the early 1970s.<\/p>\n<p>Business bloomed since then because, in 1988, Villa Maria started to export their wine. Today, they export to over 50 countries!<\/p>\n<p>In 2001, Villa Maria boldly determined that they would be moving towards screwcap bottling for all their wines.\u00a0 They were one of the first wineries to embrace this practice and it created quite the impact on fellow Kiwi wine producers because, in one decade, cork enclosures were virtually eradicated from the New Zealand wine industry.<\/p>\n<p>In 2009, all the passion, the focus, and the grit that is George Fistonich culminated into him receiving the honour of his country&#8217;s first Knighthood.<\/p>\n<p>Villa Maria recently celebrated their 50th anniversary with a very special release of their Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay 100% Syrah.\u00a0 This cool climate Syrah boasted delightful notes of fresh berries, violets, and mild baking spice. The palate is rich with young tannins, a balanced acidity, and long cassis note.<\/p>\n<p>It is going to be a tough wine to find due to its prestige and warranted respect. However, it shows how far George has come in producing diverse quality wines in New Zealand.<\/p>\n<p>His innovation continues to inspire as the demands of New Zealand Pinot Noir rise, as Pinot Gris becomes the fastest growing white wine category behind Sauvignon Blanc, and as new varietals like New Zealand Albari\u00f1o become introduced to our palates.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/sir-george\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30350\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-30350\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Sir-George.jpg\" alt=\"sir-george\" width=\"630\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Sir-George.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Sir-George-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Indeed, we learned that <em>Sir George<\/em>, as his staff affectionately call their big boss, tries to meet everyone that works for Villa Maria and gets to know them personally. It seems he never forgot his humble roots in Croatia, nor the need to share his passion for wines, innovation, and excellence.<\/p>\n<p>This is evidenced today, as we learned from Powrie of Villa Maria\u2019s commitment to sustainable vineyard management and winery practices, to minimizing their environmental footprint, and to adapting the winemaking to best reflect the terroir through minimal intervention, by using wild ferments, or by seeking grape varietals that best adapted to individual vineyard or sites.<\/p>\n<p>This commitment to innovation keeps the winery moving in new directions, like diversifying their production of international varieties of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, which have become somewhat iconic of New Zealand, to making single vineyard bottlings of the same varieties or to experimenting with the production of a spicy and textured Pinot Gris or of a briny Albari\u00f1o.<\/p>\n<p>The latter was by far the most pleasant discovery in the line up of twelve Villa Maria wines presented by Powrie \u2014 that along with a silky 2011 vintage of Villa Maria Pinot Noir which was served in a commemorative bottle especially molded for the winery\u2019s 50th Anniversary.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/v7SBAFI7wlo\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OIcDIdzb6A8\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/villa-maria-private-bin-sparkling-sauvignon-blanc-2015\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30353\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-30353\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa-Maria-Private-Bin-Sparkling-Sauvignon-Blanc-2015.jpg\" alt=\"villa-maria-private-bin-sparkling-sauvignon-blanc-2015\" width=\"77\" height=\"250\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/wine-reviews\/villa-maria-private-bin-sparkling-sauvignon-blanc-2015\/221493\"><strong>Villa Maria Private Bin Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc 2015\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nMarlborough, New Zealand<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/villa-maria-estate-private-bin-sauvignon-blanc-2016\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30355\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-30355\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa-Maria-Estate-Private-Bin-Sauvignon-Blanc-2016.jpg\" alt=\"villa-maria-estate-private-bin-sauvignon-blanc-2016\" width=\"66\" height=\"250\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/wine-reviews\/villa-maria-estate-private-bin-sauvignon-blanc-2016\/247551\"><strong>Villa Maria Estate Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc 2016\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nMarlborough, New Zealand<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/villa-maria-estate-cellar-selection-sauvignon-blanc-2016\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30357\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-30357\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa-Maria-Estate-Cellar-Selection-Sauvignon-Blanc-2016.jpg\" alt=\"villa-maria-estate-cellar-selection-sauvignon-blanc-2016\" width=\"67\" height=\"250\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/wine-reviews\/villa-maria-estate-cellar-selection-sauvignon-blanc-2016\/247552\"><strong>Villa Maria Estate Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2016<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nMarlborough, South Island, New Zealand<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/villa-maria-estate-reserve-sauvignon-blanc-2016\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30359\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-30359\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa-Maria-Estate-Reserve-Sauvignon-Blanc-2016.png\" alt=\"villa-maria-estate-reserve-sauvignon-blanc-2016\" width=\"66\" height=\"250\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/wine-reviews\/villa-maria-2016\/247530\"><strong>Villa Maria Estate Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2016<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nClifford Bay, Marlborough, New Zealand<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/villa-maria-estate-single-vineyard-2016-2\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30397\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-30397\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa-Maria-Estate-Single-Vineyard-2016.png\" alt=\"villa-maria-estate-single-vineyard-2016\" width=\"66\" height=\"250\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/wine-reviews\/villa-maria-2016\/247531\"><strong>Villa Maria Estate Single Vineyard 2016<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nSouthern Clays, Marlborough, New Zealand<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/villa-maria-estate-east-coast-pinot-gris-2016-2\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30363\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-30363\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa-Maria-Estate-East-Coast-Pinot-Gris-2016-2.png\" alt=\"villa-maria-estate-east-coast-pinot-gris-2016-2\" width=\"56\" height=\"250\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/wine-reviews\/villa-maria-estate-east-coast-pinot-gris\/247554\"><strong>Villa Maria Estate East Coast Pinot Gris 2016<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nHawkes Bay, North Island, New Zealand<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/villa-maria-cellar-selection-pinot-gris-2016\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30365\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-30365\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa-Maria-Cellar-Selection-Pinot-Gris-2016.jpg\" alt=\"villa-maria-cellar-selection-pinot-gris-2016\" width=\"56\" height=\"250\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/wine-reviews\/villa-maria-cellar-selection-pinot-gris\/247556\"><strong>Villa Maria Cellar Selection Pinot Gris 2016<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nMarlborough, South Island, New Zealand<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/villa-maria-estate-cellar-selection-albarino-2015\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30368\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-30368\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa-Maria-Estate-Cellar-Selection-Albarino-2015.png\" alt=\"villa-maria-estate-cellar-selection-albarino-2015\" width=\"66\" height=\"250\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/wine-reviews\/villa-maria-2016\/247532\"><strong>Villa Maria Estate Cellar Selection Albarino 2015<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nGisborne, New Zealand<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/villa-maria-estate-private-bin-chardonnay-2015\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30370\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-30370\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa-Maria-Estate-Private-Bin-Chardonnay-2015.jpg\" alt=\"villa-maria-estate-private-bin-chardonnay-2015\" width=\"66\" height=\"250\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/wine-reviews\/villa-maria-estate-private-bin-chardonnay\/247557\"><strong>Villa Maria Estate Private Bin Chardonnay 2015<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nGisborne, New Zealand<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/villa-maria-estate-cellar-selection-chardonnay-2015\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30371\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-30371\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa-Maria-Estate-Cellar-Selection-Chardonnay-2015.jpg\" alt=\"villa-maria-estate-cellar-selection-chardonnay-2015\" width=\"66\" height=\"250\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/wine-reviews\/villa-maria-estate-cellar-selection-chardonnay\/247558\"><strong>Villa Maria Estate Cellar Selection Chardonnay 2015<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nHawkes Bay, Marlborough, New Zealand<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/villa-maria-estate-private-bin-rose-2016\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30373\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-30373\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa-Maria-Estate-Private-Bin-Rose-2016.jpg\" alt=\"villa-maria-estate-private-bin-rose-2016\" width=\"65\" height=\"250\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/wine-reviews\/villa-maria-estate-private-bin-rose\/247559\"><strong>Villa Maria Estate Private Bin Ros\u00e9 2016<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nMarlborough, New Zealand<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/villa-maria-estates-cellar-selection-pinot-noir-2014\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30375\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-30375\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa-Maria-Estates-Cellar-Selection-Pinot-Noir-2014.jpg\" alt=\"villa-maria-estates-cellar-selection-pinot-noir-2014\" width=\"68\" height=\"250\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/wine-reviews\/villa-maria-estates-cellar-selection-pinot-noir\/247560\"><strong>Villa Maria Estates Cellar Selection Pinot Noir 2014<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nMarlborough, South Island, New Zealand<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/villa-maria-estate-cellar-selection-merlot-cabernet-sauvignon-2014\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30377\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-30377\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa-Maria-Estate-Cellar-Selection-Merlot-Cabernet-Sauvignon-2014.jpg\" alt=\"villa-maria-estate-cellar-selection-merlot-cabernet-sauvignon-2014\" width=\"63\" height=\"250\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/wine-reviews\/villa-maria-estate-private-bin-merlot-cabernet-sauvignon\/247561\"><strong>Villa Maria Estate Cellar Selection Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2014<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nHawke&#8217;s Bay, New Zealand<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/villa-maria-estate-cellar-selection-syrah-2014\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30379\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-30379\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa-Maria-Estate-Cellar-Selection-Syrah-2014.jpg\" alt=\"villa-maria-estate-cellar-selection-syrah-2014\" width=\"66\" height=\"250\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/wine-reviews\/villa-maria-cellar-selection-syrah-2014\/227948\"><strong>Villa Maria Estate Cellar Selection Syrah 2014\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nHawke&#8217;s Bay, New Zealand<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/villa-maria-wine-tasting-pairing\/villa-maria-estate-syrah-2011\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-30381\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-30381\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Villa-Maria-Estate-Syrah-2011.png\" alt=\"villa-maria-estate-syrah-2011\" width=\"71\" height=\"250\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/wine-reviews\/villa-maria-syrah-2009\/247543\"><strong>Villa Maria Estate Syrah 2011<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nGimlet Gravels, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Canada&#8217;s top wine writers and sommeliers gathered in the nation&#8217;s capital for a comprehensive tasting of Villa Maria wines from New Zealand. &nbsp; Terry Jeans Wine Writer, Ottawa Wine Guide &nbsp; What an elaborate tasting! We had the chance to have an amazing tasting with one of the viticulturists from Villa Maria\u2013 Ollie Powrie, who presented us with an insightful session of tasting over a dozen wines from one of the only New Zealand owned and family operated wineries. Founded and owned by the venerated Sir George Fistonich, a real icon of the wine industry, who has been part of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1507,113,1130,946,426,1115,726,739,691,372,1001,207,321,473,394,1148,1092],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-albarino","category-best-wines","category-cabernet-sauvignon-blend","category-chardonnay","category-merlot-blend","category-new-zealand-wine-wine-region","category-pinot-gris","category-pinot-gris-new-zealand","category-pinot-noir-new-zealand","category-red-wine","category-rose","category-sauvignon-blanc","category-sparkling-wine","category-syrah","category-white-wine","category-wine-tasting-event","category-winemaking"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30116","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30116"}],"version-history":[{"count":54,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30116\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31534,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30116\/revisions\/31534"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30116"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30116"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nataliemaclean.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30116"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}