Milestones
1962: Villa Maria’s first vintage
Late 60s: Villa Maria’s Wine Club was established to educate consumers in wine & food matching
Early 70s: Villa Maria employed first staff
Early 80s: Villa Maria instigated the first grape grower bonus where grapes were paid for based on quality and not on quantity
1988: Export commenced
1995: Villa Maria became an accredited member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ)
2000: Marlborough winery opened
2001: Villa Maria decided to become a cork-free zone and to move to 100% screwcaps
2005: Auckland winery & vineyard park opened
2009: George Fistonich received the country’s first knighthood for his services to the New Zealand wine industry
2012: Villa Maria Estate celebrated 50 years of exceptional winemaking