Villa Maria launches organic wine range EarthGarden

New Zealand winery Villa Maria has launched its first organic wine range, EarthGarden.

The new range is designed to meet a rising global demand for sustainable produce, and forms part of the winery's commitment to converting 100 per cent of its vineyards to be organically managed by 2030.

New Zealanders will be the first to get their hands on the EarthGarden range, which will be available online and in-store nationwide from 1 March. A UK launch will follow from late April.

The BioGro-certified range includes Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Hawke's Bay Rosé 2020, Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019 and Hawke's Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2019.

Matt Deller, Villa Maria's chief global sales and marketing officer, said: "The global organic wine market was forecasted last year by IWSR to grow 43 per cent by 2024, and New Zealand’s $2 billion wine industry is well positioned to capitalise on this trend."

Villa Maria viticulturalist Hannah Ternent said the winery plants wildflower seeds each year to encourage pollinators and help create a "flourishing eco-system", which in turn supports the growth of its vines. 

She added: "We are highly motivated to further enhance the health of our soils and environment so we can continue to reap the rewards of beautiful fruit for years to come. EarthGarden perfectly encapsulates these principles and what we are striving to achieve."

Fiona Mottershaw, brand controller at Hatch Mansfield, said: "We are thrilled to be launching this significant new organic range from Villa Maria in 2021.  With the environment an ever more pressing consideration in all of our minds, the time couldn’t be more perfect to start showcasing the work that Villa Maria has been doing, for many years now, to put sustainability at the heart of the business."

Villa Maria sources all its packaging from within 22km of its Auckland estate, and its wine bottles are made in New Zealand with an average of 69 per cent recycled glass.

1 March 2021 - Bethany Whymark