Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010

Ste. Michelle to import New Zealand wine

By Andy Perdue, Wine Press Northwest

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, the Northwest's largest wine company, will add to its cadre of products by importing wine from New Zealand.

Ste. Michelle, based in Woodinville, has been named the exclusive U.S. importer of Villa Maria Estates, based in Auckland, New Zealand. Villa Maria, launched in 1961, is known for its Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

This is not Ste. Michelle's first foray into the international wine scene. It also is the exclusive U.S. importer of Antinori (with which it also co-owns Col Solare in Washington and Stag's Leap in Napa) and Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte.

"When we set about finding a new partner in the United States, we were specifically looking for an organization with an impeccable reputation, a successful track record in developing fine wine businesses and trade relationships, and a company with the ability to deliver the American consumer broad distribution across all trade channels," said George Fistonich, founder of Villa Maria.

Ted Baseler, CEO of Ste. Michelle, said, "Villa Maria is an outstanding addition to the Ste. Michelle portfolio and supports our 'string of pearls' business strategy of owning or representing a collection of unique estate wineries. The company’s innovative approach to quality grape growing and winemaking coupled with New Zealand’s category growth make this an ideal moment to reintroduce an historic, authentic industry leader to consumers."