Villa Maria Estate selling land to fund global expansion plans

New Zealand winemaker Villa Maria Estate is to sell 31 hectares of surplus land as it looks to raise capital to accelerate global growth.

The company is selling the land surrounding its headquarters in Mangere, Auckland to support investment plans across its value chain, from viticulture and wineries to marketing, to meet increasing demand in its key markets.

Justin Liddell, CEO of Villa Maria Estate, said: "We've been making changes to our business consistent with our vision to be one of the world's great wine companies and carry on the legacy of our founder, Sir George Fistonich. 

"I'm really proud of the team, which has achieved sound results despite the challenges of Covid-19. We've restructured and refreshed our business, optimised and refined our brand and marketing portfolios, and redefined our hospitality offering to enhance our consumer experience. We have laid the foundations for our future success and this is the next phase in our growth strategy."

Justin said that Villa Maria Estate will continue to operate its winery, bottling, warehousing, head office and hospitality functions on the remaining 10 hectares of land at Mangere. The company is also exploring raising capital with investment opportunities for interested parties. "We don't expect any decisions to be made until the first quarter of next year and our day-to-day activities will go on as usual," Justin added.

Villia Maria is the leading New Zealand wine brand in the UK market by volume and value, and the company wants to explore opportunities in North America and Asia. The estate's portfolio also includes Esk Valley, Leftfield, Vidal and Thornbury, as well as its recently announced LF Seltzer brand.

5 November 2020 - Bethany Whymark