Villa Maria buys Hawkes Bay vineyard

New Zealand-based winery, Villa Maria, has bought a second vineyard in the Gimblett Gravels wine growing district in Hawkes Bay, taking its tally of vineyards to five.

The 41-hectare property contains a vineyard and bare land and its purchase has confirmed Villa Maria’s position as the largest landholder in the Gimblett Gravels, now owning a third of the area.

Formerly owned and managed by Pask Winery, the vineyard has in the past supplied surplus grapes for Villa Maria wines.

Sir George Fistonich, Villa Maria owner and founder, said: “There is fierce competition to purchase more vineyards in this very limited premium wine area. We’re seeing strong growth in demand for red wines particularly in Asia, so securing our grape supply is crucial to meeting our customer requirements. The Gimblett Gravels is a very unique area renowned for making some of the country’s best wines,”

Covering 800 hectares, the Gimblett Gravels Wine Growing District is an appellation defined by soil type.

Grapes grown in the region include mostly Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

Villa Maria Estate has four other vineyards in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Marlborough and Auckland.

Its wines are available in the UK via Hatch Mansfield.