Villa Maria Estate 118 Montgomerie Road, PO Box 43-046 Mangere, Auckland, New Zealand

www.villamaria.co.nz

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INTRODUCTION

A FAMILY BUSINESS

BUILDING A GLOBAL BRAND

NZ’S MOST AWARDED WINERY

EXPORTING TO THE WORLD

A CORK FREE ZONE

A NZ WINE PIONEER

OUR SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

LAND OF THE LONG WHITE CLOUD

VILLA MARIA TIMELINE

Founder and CEO

In 1961 a young man named George Fistonich turned a passion into a business by setting up his own winery. He leased two hectares in Mangere, Auckland, from his father, grew vines, took over his family’s 90m² cellar and began making wine. He went on to establish one of New Zealand’s leading wineries, a global brand, win national and international wine

awards and receive a knighthood.

2012 celebrates his 50th vintage.

This is the story of Villa Maria.

Sir George Fistonich is a trendbuster: he launched a wine company when everyone was drinking sherry; he beat the ’87 crash; and even convinced us that wine can come from a screw-top bottleVincent Heeringa - Idealog, 2008

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“When I began this adventure in 1961 I was a young man with just a few vines and an overwhelming desire to create quality wine. I could never have dreamed that creating Villa Maria would have been such an exciting and

fulfilling journey.

Villa Maria has experienced great success over the years. Although this recognition is satisfying, it is secondary to the pleasure I receive from knowing our wines are of world class standard. I hope you experience as much enjoyment drinking Villa

Maria wines as I do making them.”

George Fistonich

“Making wine is a family tradition in Croatia and I’m fortunate to have been able to step into the family business and play my part in keeping the tradition alive in New Zealand.”

Karen Fistonich - Chair of the Board

A FAMILY BUSINESS

“Since the beginning, George’s vision and passion for quality wine was apparent throughout the growth of the business and the winery.”

4 5Andrew (father) with homemade

converted wringer to crush

grapes

Mandica (mother) Karen (daughter), George and Gail (wife)

Fabian (nephew)

“There is a tremendous thrill being involved in Villa Maria, whether a new project, a sustainability initiative or an innovation in wine technology. There are always opportunities to make a difference.”

Fabian Yukich - Executive Director

“At our recent tasting of reception wines Simon

Berry, head of Berry Bros acknowledged the Royal

Household staff's love of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc by deciding to buy 40 cases of

Villa Maria's from Waitrose.”

Jancis Robinson - wine writer, 2011

“I was actually sitting round a coffee bar with a few friends when I chose Villa Maria as the name. Maria was an international name, and was also a Croatian name. It sounded quite romantic. Villa is a common expression for a New Zealand house. Probably today you would come up with a real kiwi name. A lot of people thought I was married to Maria or my mother was Maria, and all sorts of

rumours floated around.”

George Fistonich

BUILDING A GLOBAL BRAND“For the volume of wine produced, Villa Maria is probably the single best winery of its size in the world” Ronn Wiegand, Publisher – Restaurant Wine U.S, 2011

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HIGHLIGHTS

Air New Zealand Wine Awards 2012Record for most trophies.

Royal Easter Show Wine AwardsChampion Winemaker 1993, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004 , 2005 and 2011.

Winestate Magazine (Australia) AwardsNew Zealand Wine Producer of the Year 2009 for the 11th time in 12 years.

International Wine and Spirit Competition LondonNew Zealand Wine Producer of the Year 2009, 2007, 2006 & 2004.

Sydney International Wine CompetitionMost Successful Winery 2007.

Wine Enthusiast magazine (USA)New World Winery of the Year 2007.

Wine Spectator magazine (USA) Critic’s Choice Award Winner in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005.

Wine Spectator magazine One of the World’s 50 Great Wine Producers 2004.

Sydney International Wine CompetitionChampion Wine of the Show 1997 beating 1000 wines from six countries.

International Wine Academy (Australia): New Zealand Winemaker of the Year 1987.

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Since winning 2 out of 3 red wine awards at the Royal Easter Show in 1963, Villa Maria has continued to receive numerous awards nationally and internationally making us New Zealand’s

most awarded winery.

“Brilliant track record in competitions.”

Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book, 2004

“Wine Producer of the Year”Michael Franz,

US wine writer 2007

“Everyone may be able to make gold medal wines by cropping low and working on flavour intensity, but when Villa Maria scores at least four stars or silver medals in the Private Bin range with hundreds of thousands of cases collectively, the strength of the company truly shows. Award winner it may be, but the volume of quality wines which every wine drinker can afford is a big mark of distinction for Villa Maria.”

Peter Saunders - Winestate magazine, 2006

NZ’S MOST AWARDED WINERY

“Impressed by the quality of the Syrah which was grown in the unique soils of Hawke’s Bay’s Gimblett Gravels. Oz Clark writes, “It’s a totally new flavor and I’m excited and amazed it’s already hit out high streets… All of those rare, shocking, red wine tastes are there, but the texture is supremely gentle – bone-dry, duck-down gentle.”

Oz Clark, Feb 2008

NZ’S MOST AWARDED WINERY

“Impressed by the quality of the Syrah which was grown in the unique soils of Hawke’s Bay’s Gimblett Gravels. Oz Clark writes, “It’s a totally new flavor and I’m excited and amazed it’s already hit out high streets… All of those rare, shocking, red wine tastes are there, but the texture is supremely gentle – bone-dry, duck-down gentle.”

Oz Clark, 2008

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ARUBA AUSTRALIA AUSTRIA BARBADOS BELGIUM BERMUDA BRAZIL BULGARIA CAMBODIA CANADA CAYMAN ISLANDS CHINA COOK ISLANDS COSTA RICA CURACAO CYPRUS CZECH REPUBLIC DENMARK DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ESTONIA FIJI FINLAND FRANCE GERMANY GREECE GUADELOUPE HUNGARY ICELAND INDIA IRELAND - SOUTHERN ISRAEL KAZAKHSTAN JAPAN KOREA LATVIA LAOS LITHUANIA LUXEMBOURG MALAYSIA MALDIVES MALTA MEXICO MYANMAR NETHERLANDS NEW CALEDONIA NORWAY OMAN PHILIPPINES POLAND PORTUGAL ROMANIA RUSSIA SINGAPORE SLOVAKIA SRI LANKA ST MARTIN SWEDEN SWITZERLAND TAHITI TAIWAN THAILAND TONGA TRINIDAD & TOBAGO TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS UNITED ARAB EMIRATES UNITED KINGDOM USA VANUATU VIETNAM VIRGIN ISLANDS (US) WESTERN SAMOA

EXPORTING TO THE WORLDFirst exported to the UK in 1988, Villa Maria wines are now available in more than 50 markets across Europe,

North America, Asia, the Pacific and Australia.

“Probably the best all round producer in New Zealand. Villa Maria has a vast array of wines, yet they are all beautifully crafted to enhance fruit and finesse …… If the quality is super, the consistency is supernatural”.

The New Southerby’s Wine Encyclopedia (UK), 2001

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For quality reasons, Villa Maria made the decision in 2001 to cease using cork and change to screw cap with the 2000 Reserve Red wines being the first to be bottled under the new closure. Over the next 2 years as the company communicated the decision to overseas distributers and sufficient screw cap bottles and equipment became available, the entire global production was shifted

to screwcap

It was a bold move for the company which took the risk of losing overseas business by declining to fill orders from companies who requested wines sealed under cork. For George it came down to quality, something he has never been willing

to compromise on.

When we started using screw caps we started to get lots of letters:

“Thank you for the great time I have had with your wine over the last 20 years. I used to be able to get home, get the corkscrew out and open the bottle, sit down and pour myself a glass of wine. Now I get home and my wife has worked out how to take the screwtop off and she has already finished the bottle, and is incapable of cooking my meal. So I’ve had to

ban screw caps.”

“The average quality of the wines, regardless of type or price, and compared with its peers, is extraordinarily high – and consistently so. In fact, we believe that as Villa Maria has grown, and in part because of its full conversion in 2003 to all screw cap closures, that its wines are actually improving, and improving at a pace, and in character; at least as accomplished as the wines of its direct competitors, if not several steps, or kilometers ahead”

Restaurant Wine magazine (USA), 2006

“If our ancestors 100 years ago had the ability to close

wine with screw caps, imagine all the fantastic

wines we would now have sealed properly”

Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book, 2001

A CORK FREE ZONE

“Fistonich is so respected that he was recently labelled the “Robert Mondavi of New Zealand”

National Business Review magazine (NZ), 2008

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2012 Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medalfor services to the New Zealand wine industry Royal Easter Show Wine Awards.

2011 Lifetime Achievement Award International Wine Challenge (UK).

2011 Kea World Class New Zealander Award Manufacturing, Design & Innovation category.

2011 New Zealand Wine Hall of Fame Inducted for services to the New Zealand wine industry.

2009 KnighthoodSir George Fistonich becomes the New Zealand wine sector’s first and only knight.

2005 Entrepreneur of the YearErnst & Young.

2005 First New Zealand Wine Personality of the YearNew Zealand Winegrower magazine.

2005 Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Meritfor his service to the New Zealand Wine Industry.

2004 New Zealander of the Year National Business Review.

2004 and 2003 Wine Personality of the YearAward Nomimation Wine International magazine.

2004 One of the top ten New Zealanders New Zealand Herald.

2000 Inaugural Guest of Honour Award Hawke’s Bay Wine Awards for contribution to the areas Wine Industry.

In keeping with his typically understated style, Sir

George Fistonich will still be known and addressed by

friends, family and staff as George

A NEW ZEALAND WINE PIONEER

What do you do when you are the founder, owner and boss of the biggest New Zealand-owned winery and you’re almost 65? Plan your retirement cruise? Not if you are Villa Maria’s George Fistonich. Instead, you buy 40 hectares of volcanic crater by Auckland airport and you move your whole winery, warehouse and bottling plant to the new site, plus build a visitors’ centre, restaurant, conference facilities, accommodation and

outdoor concert venue.

Nikki Mandow- Unlimited magazine, 2004

George with Mr and Mrs Muldoon at the opening of the first NZ

winery restaurant, 1979

George’s knighthood, 2009

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Villa Maria has a long held objective to be environmentally responsible and to operate using sustainable practices. These values are inherent in the long term view Villa Maria

takes of the wine business.

For Villa Maria sustainability is not an end point but a journey. It has been important to embed sustainable principles into the culture of our organisation to ensure we are continuously seeking ways to

improve our performance.

In 2010 Fabian won the Sustainability Champion Award at the NZ Sustainable Business Network

Awards.

In 1999, Villa Maria commenced it’s organics programme. Villa Maria now has four vineyards BioGro certified and others in transition. Of company owned vineyards, nearly a third are currently organically managed. Additionally all Villa Maria wineries and vineyards are certified under the Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) accreditation.

“It is a great honour to work for a company that truly believes in minimising its impact. One thing I am certain about is that sustainability is a journey and we need to keep searching for ways to do things better”.

Fabian Yukich - Executive Director

1995 Accredited member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ)A grapegrowers initiative to set the standard of environmental practices in New Zealand vineyards and wineries.

2007 Introduction of Hybrid (low emission) vehicles for NZ’s national sales fleet.

2009 OI Glass LobbyConvinced New Zealand’s Glass manufacturing company OI Glass to manufacture lighter weight glass wine bottles and started usingthese from February 2010.

2009 BioGro Organic Certification from the vineyard to the winery.

2010 CEMARS Certification (Certified Emissions Management and Reduction Scheme).

As a family-owned, New Zealand

company Villa Maria feels a great

responsibility to ensure resources are

protected for the next generation

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AUCKLAND WINERY

Gisborne

Hawkes Bay

Canterbury/Waipara

MARLBOROUGH WINERY

New Zealand is a premier new-world wine country, producing award-winning wines that reflect the clean

air and sunshine.

Commonly referred to as the “Land of the Long White Cloud”, New Zealand has a mostly maritime climate with mild temperatures and a relatively long growing season

ideal for quality wine production.

The diverse geography of New Zealand’s landscape stretches from the warm clay and stony soils in the north, to the cool, scenic valleys of Marlborough and the South Island. The grape varieties, soil structure and mini-climates across the country are varied, producing a broad

spectrum of flavour in our wines.

Villa Maria has carefully selected our vineyards to ensure we have only the best quality sites allowing the opportunity to grow the highest quality grapes that reflect the unique character of the location and region

from where they are grown.

We have vineyards in Auckland, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Marlborough, Waipara and Central Otago and wineries in Auckland, Marlborough

and Hawkes Bay.

“One of New Zealand’s most consistent producers”Jamie Goode - wine writer, 2011

“Villa Maria produces so many consistently good if not great white and red wines every year from all sorts of grapes and from all sorts of New Zealand regions that it’s hard to keep up.”Jane MacQuitty, The Times Saturday Magazine 1997

LAND OF THE LONG WHITE CLOUD

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First Vintage. Opens New Zealand’s first winery restaurantin Hawkes Bay.

In the early 1970s Villa Maria started to employ staff and the company expanded rapidly.Now it employs 220 staff and exports to more than 50 countries.

1962 1970

1979

1978

Villa Maria instigated in the early 80’s the first grape grower bonus system where grapes were paid for based on quality and not quantity.

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In 1978 Villa Maria established New Zealand’s then newest wine region in Ihumatao, Mangere, Auckland.

In 1975 Villa Maria purchased the Hawkes Bay winery which was important for Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

IHUMATAO AUCKLAND

HAWKES BAY

1975 1980

In 2003 Villa Maria wine was chosen to celebrate fifty years since the conquest of Everest (Endeavour on Everest event in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh – UK).

Celebrating our 50th Vintage.

2005

2009

2012

First major New Zealand winery to achieve BioGro certification to cover the whole winemaking process from viticulture through to production and export.

Villa Maria’s new 40 hectare Auckland Winery and Vineyard Park officially opened in February 2005.

2001

2001 Villa Maria was the first major wine company in the world to make the decision to move to 100% screwcap closures for all its wine in all markets.

2003

“George Fistonich’s passion – His perfectionist zeal has put Villa Maria at the forefront of New Zealand wine”

Quarterly Review of Wines (USA ), 2004

www.villamaria.co.nz/50years