Villa Maria becomes first NZ wine brand to be named 'top three in the world'

Villa Maria viticulturist Ollie Powrie (left) with chief winemaker Nick Picone. Photo / Supplied

For the first time, a New Zealand wine brand has been named in the top three "most admired wine brands in the world".

Villa Maria was awarded the coveted title and was announced the third Most Admired Wine Brand in the World at an awards ceremony in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Villa Maria founder and president Sir George Fistonich said it was an "absolute honour".

"We are delighted to be held in such high esteem on the international stage. New Zealand is a relatively young winemaking nation and to be in the top three wine brands in the world is immensely powerful for New Zealand wine and the New Zealand export sector.

"This award is a testament to the unrelenting passion, enthusiasm and intelligence of winemaking and viticulture teams.

"The quality of our wines consistently deliver and show we exceed in all the award criteria. It's fantastic recognition for Villa Maria and I'm incredibly proud that we are punching well above our weight on this prestigious global list," said Sir George Fistonich.

The accolade is a familiar one for the company who has been named New Zealand's Most Admired Wine Brand for five consecutive years and been in the World's Top 10 placing fourth in 2015, eighth in 2016, fourth in 2017 and eighth in 2018.

Judges look for the wine and brand to be a true reflection of the country of origin, consistency and quality, marketing appeal and the ability to meet consumer needs.

It is an accolade to which the Hawke's Bay winemaking community can also raise a toast, as the region is the largest of Villa Maria's four vineyard and winemaking areas.

Chief winemaker Nick Picone said the achievement is not only "fantastic for our brand, but for the New Zealand wine industry".

He puts the achievement down to its leadership and Sir George's "unbelievable passion for making high quality wines".

"He has been on a real mission to ensure that we have some of the best vineyard sites in New Zealand at our disposal but, importantly on top of that, I think that we have amazing, talented people working in this business, from viticulture and wine-making, right through to production and bottling and each of these steps are critical in ensuring the quality and consistency of our wines."