Sir George Fistonich may have stepped down as chief executive of Villa Maria Estate but the wines keep climbing the international ranks, most recently being named one of top three most admired wine brands in the world.
Fistonich said the award was a testament to the “unrelenting passion, enthusiasm and intelligence” of winemaking and viticulture teams.
He founded the wine company in 1961, and still has a hands-on role in the company as president and brand ambassador.
One of his projects is a new winery and retail centre at Te Awa in the premium Gimblett Gravels area of Hawke’s Bay. It is now the Hawkes Bay home of Villa Maria, Vidal Estate, Esk Valley, and the Te Awa Collection, replacing the Esk Valley and Vidal Estate wineries in Hastings.
Sir George is also Villa Maria’s global ambassador, promoting its brands in more than 60 international markets, and is a well-known enthusiast for the NZ wine industry in general.
Throughout the 1960s, Villa Maria was a one-man band. He made dry red and white wines, sourcing grapes from the greater Auckland regions.
In the early 1970s, Fistonich started to employ staff and the company began to expand.
He started exporting his wine in 1988, and the company now exports to more than 50 countries.
Fistonich was knighted in 2009 for services to the New Zealand wine industry. This was the first knighthood of its kind.
2018: $170 million