Organics
Our approach to organics at Villa Maria is focused on preserving the health of our land and plants.
Our vineyard managers understand how to get the best from our vines and soils, and have an in-depth viticulture knowledge of how to make our vineyards robust and resilient – by doing the right things at the right time to ensure the vines are not put under unnecessary stress.
As part of our journey to minimise the impact we have on our environment, we monitor our vines and fruit throughout the growing season using both traditional methods and modern technology.
Once grapes are harvested this care and attention transitions into the winery, where our organic wines are managed separately, with minimal interference, letting nature do its job.
The future of organics is bright at Villa Maria
We introduced organic principles in our vineyards in 1999, with an ambitious plan to convert a 200 acre vineyard in Hawkes Bay.
At the time we did not have the natural tools to tackle pests, weeds and disease on such a large scale, but led by founder Sir George Fistonich we broke down the tasks into manageable chunks.
After a lot of hard work, and many valuable lessons learned, in 2007 we were thrilled to achieve the internationally recognised BioGro Organic Certification for a 21 hectare block in Hawkes Bay.
Villa Maria became the first major winery in New Zealand to gain BioGro certification in 2009, from grape to bottle and everything in between.
You reap what you sow as they say, and wines made using our organic grapes are wonderful expressions of the geography, soils and climates of the vineyards from which they were harvested.
We look forward to sharing more of them with you in the future and keeping you up-to-date with our progress in organic wine production.
