Villa Maria’s Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc Differentiates Itself from the Rest In the Category

On Foodable

On this episode of On Foodable, we get to learn a little from Rob Bigelow, Senior Director of Wine Education and On Premise Development at Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, about a New Zealand winery—Villa Maria Wine Estate—that the company is in partnership with.

“When I think about New Zealand and the wines, obviously the first answer is Sauvignon Blanc,” says Bigelow.Some of the characteristics of New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, which make up two-thirds to three-quarters of all the vineyards in the region, are: “... crisp, aromatic, lovely, perfect with seafood,” as mentioned by Bigelow.

The wine that is featured in this episode is the Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc, which is top rated at 90 points.

“The Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc has a sort of a broader mid-palate which means it’s lusher on the palette more sort of melon, floral aromas…,” says Bigelow. The grapes are actually sourced from a combination of two valleys in the Marlborough region, which helps provide maximum flavor, balance, and quality to the wine.

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates is a collection of distinctive wines estates, located in the Pacific Northwest, California, and abroad. The company provides administrative and financial support for each wine property it does business with. Ste. Michelle’s company philosophy is to allow each wine estate/vineyard to have all wine-making decisions “made on site by the people who grow the grapes and make the wine” as stated in the company website.

Villa Maria Wine Estates, for example, is a family-owned winery located in Marlborough island and is recognized as New Zealand’s most awarded winery thanks to its winemaker being fanatical about quality. The winery focuses on low yields and discards all imperfect grapes.

Watch the episode above to learn more about Villa Maria Wine Estates and its sustainability efforts!