Villa Maria Repeats Success at Royal Easter Show Wine Awards; Takes Home Champion Wine of the Show and Winemaker of the Year
Villa Maria Reserve Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2014 has been awarded Champion Wine of the Show at the Royal Easter Show Wine Awards 2017 for the second year in a row. This unprecedented achievement is further accentuated by Villa Maria Group Chief Winemaker Nick Picone taking home Winemaker of the Year, for the third time (he won in 2016 and was a joint winner in 2011 with Alastair Maling, previous Villa Maria group winemaker).
Villa Maria’s reputation as New Zealand’s most awarded winery was upheld with a total of 15 golds and 3 trophies at this year’s Royal New Zealand Easter Show Wine Awards.
Villa Maria Founder and CEO George Fistonich believes these awards are an outcome of a passionate and hard-working winemaking team: “This is the third time Nick has won Winemaker of the Year at these awards. These incredible results are an indication that, under Nick’s leadership our winemaking team continues to produce world-class wines,” he says.
Exemplifying the high-quality wine that is produced from Hawkes Bay, Villa Maria also took home trophies for the Reserve Gimblett Gravels Malbec 2013 and Reserve Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013.
One of the most significant trends for Villa Maria is the dominance in the Chardonnay category with an impressive 8 golds (on top of the Champion Wine of the Show accolade). This is following from last years’ Royal New Zealand Easter Show Wine Awards where Villa Maria won 5 golds in the Chardonnay class, not to mention taking the Champion Wine of the Show for the Reserve Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2014.
This incredible win for Villa Maria Group Chief Winemaker Nick Picone makes him the recipient of ‘Winemaker of the Year’ or ‘Winemaker of show’ on seven occasions, including being named The Wine Society Australasian Young Winemaker of the Year in 2012 and The New Zealand International Wine Show in 2013, 2015 and 2016.
The Royal Easter Show Wine Awards are New Zealand’s oldest national wine competition.
Results:
GOLD
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2015
Villa Maria Reserve Barrique Fermented Gisborne Chardonnay 2015
Villa Maria Reserve Barrique Fermented Gisborne Chardonnay 2014
Villa Maria Reserve Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2014* (Champion Wine of the Show)
Villa Maria Reserve Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2015
Villa Maria Reserve Marlborough Chardonnay 2015
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Ihumatao Chardonnay 2014
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Taylors Pass Chardonnay 2015
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Seddon Pinot Gris 2016
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawkes Bay Viognier 2016
Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013*
Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay Merlot 2013
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawkes Bay Syrah 2015
Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay Malbec 2013*
*Trophy Winners
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