Champagne Wishes: Villa Maria Private Bin Marborough Riesling 2008 Recommended by Whom You Know-We are Pleased to Kick Off Our Coverage of the New Zealand Market!

Once upon a time, Peachy Deegan lived and worked in London, and one of the best people she worked with was a fabulously fun girl from New Zealand...we love the Kiwis!  (They call themselves this...we are only repeating what we have heard from those we know from New Zealand.)  So, in our quest to find the best in the alcohol market we thought we'd take a trip to New Zealand, through a wine bottle of course.  We have heard Villa Maria was one of the best, so we had to try it.



VINEYARD DESCRIPTION
Villa Maria’s Riesling vineyards are scattered throughout both the Awatere and Wairau Valleys of Marlborough. The vineyards are managed to ensure ripe and clean fruit. Timely canopy management activities such as shoot thinning and leaf plucking, along with an attention to vine health, optimizes the opportunity for the ideal vineyard flavors at harvest.



WINEMAKING
The grapes for this wine were harvested in the cool of the morning, then gently pressed. The resulting juice was allowed to naturally settle before cool fermentation to preserve the delicate Riesling aromatics. The fermentation was stopped at just the right time to give a slightly off-dry wine which was then blended and lightly fined prior to bottling.


WINEMAKER’S COMMENT
A pure and delicate bouquet of ripe citrus-lime and spring blossom aromas. The palate is beautifully balanced with intense flavors, lovely juicy length and a lime zest finish. 


Pairing suggestions: Great on its own or with pork, poultry and mild cheeses.  And of course, according to Peachy, crabcakes are wonderful with this Riesling!


TECHNICAL DETAILS
Region: Marlborough
Varieties: 100% Riesling
Alcohol: 12%
pH: 3.0
Total acidity: 7.7gL
Aging: NA
Residual sugar: 9.0 gL


We put the trusted taste of the highly discriminating Champagne Wishes panel to work, and they rave:




Hailing from one of my favorite countries in the world, New Zealand, and from one of its most awarded wineries, I knew I was in for a treat when I popped open my bottle of Villa Maria Private Bin Marlborough Riesling 2008.  The complexity of the flavors was what hit me immediately, the blend of citrus (lemon, lime and a hint of grapefruit), apple and peach are harmonious, refreshing and very crisp.  I enjoyed this wine chilled and paired with a spiced trout over pasta, the notes and flavors of the wine, particularly the high acidity level characteristic of a Riesling, complemented well with the spices and neither overwhelmed the other.  As a matter of fact, I think this particular Riesling calls for a dish with enough textures, flavors and character of its own to allow for maximum enjoyment of both wine and food.  On its own, the wine is especially good served chilled rather than warm.  On a recent evening during this heatwave we're having here in the east coast, a chilled glass of this Riesling was quite refreshing and welcome.  The surprisingly higher sugar content of this wine actually balances out the acidity of the wine without lending any hints of over-sweetness.  As a final touch, this wine comes sealed with a screwcap, which I'm really starting to like, for its ease and convenience of opening and reclosing, not to mention it keeps the flavor of the wine longer than the usual bottle stoppers that are used.


Villa Maria Riesling is a wonderful wine. This wine is a New Zealand made wine. The quality is simply amazing. It's crisp, sharp, clean. It has a very bold kick to it. I'm very glad to have had the opportunity to explore it. You can taste the fresh line, apple and peach expressions in the wine. I actually matched it up with a nice spicy dish tonight and it really was fabulous. I found that it really balanced the heat and made the wine taste amazing in my mouth. This wine is also great to have on it's own with friends. I would definitely gift it to friends - bring it to a dinner party. I am a big fan of Riesling and this one is on my #1 favorite list. I also served this wine also while pairing it with a bunch of different cheeses. It's a great wine to kick back with some cheese. I love anything I can match with a nice cool crisp Riesling. Oh and not to forget - you don't need a bottle opener. I love screw-tops! It's wonderful not to have to carry a bottle opener. Overall this bottle of wine is most excellent. I have to say go to your local store and purchase a bottle asap! 


http://www.villamaria.co.nz/

Imported from New Zealand by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates Ltd., Woodinville, WA 98072

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The Villa Maria story is one of absolute passion. The winery was founded in 1961 by George Fistonich who, through his dedication to quality, has led Villa Maria to become the New Zealand wine icon it is today.

Passionate from a young age, wine was a central part of his upbringing. “Being Croatian, wine is part of my blood,” says Fistonich. ‘It’s always been a part of life and I’m pleased to have spent my career pursuing this life-long passion.'

Many things have changed singe George Fistonich won his first award at the Easter Show in 1962. The half-hectare of grapes in Mangere has turned into vineyards and wineries in four regions around New Zealand. Wines of a dozen grape varieties are exported to 50 countries around the world.

Then Prime Minister Helen Clark, Lady Gail Fistonich and Sir George Fistonich, at the Auckland Winery opening in 2005.

But Fistonich could not have imagined how far Villa Maria, and indeed the New Zealand wine industry itself would progress in the years to come. In the early 1970s he started to employ staff and the company began to expand rapidly.

A new winery in Auckland was essential for Villa Maria to meet the increased domestic and export demand for wines and has been designed to allow for long-term growth.

Then Prime Minister Helen Clark officially opened the new winery in February 2005.