George Geris’ winemaking career began in a secondhand bookstore in Greece, where he bought himself a wine book. Then on a backpacking trip around Europe after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in engineering from New Zealand’s Canterbury University, the young Geris knew nothing about winemaking but Europe’s vino culture had rubbed off on him. Putting aside language barriers, he volunteered for vineyard harvest stints in Italy’s Puglia and Hungary’s Tokaji.
Smitten, he returned to New Zealand and enrolled himself in a postgraduate diploma in viticulture and oenology in Christchurch’s LincolnUniversity. In 1997, he got a job as an assistant winemaker at Auckland-based Villa Maria and is now the winery’s chief Marlborough winemaker.
Geris is one of the less voluble winemakers I have met but beneath his calm and measured speech there’s a pensive trait. He lets his wines and accolades do most of the talking for his passion: in 2007, he snagged the Winestate New Zealand Winemaker of The Year award.
INVESTING IN MARLBOROUGH
Established in 1961 by George Fistonich with just an acre of vines in Mangere, Auckland, Villa Maria is one of the forerunners of New Zealand’s vino industry. The winery introduced many initiatives that were ahead of its time: in the late 60s, for example, it introduced its Wine Club to help educate its consumers on food and wine pairing, and in 1988, it began exporting its quaffs; a time when many wineries were contented with just making vino within their own borders. Today, the winery exports to more than 50 countries worldwide, and owns vineyards in Auckland, Hawkes Bay, Gisborne, and the Southern Island’s Marlborough, the country’s largest wine-growing region.
The vineyards in Hawkes Bay’s Gimblett Gravels are a treasure trove for oenophiles seeking quality Bordeaux-style blends. Geris thinks these wines are underrated abroad. “Domestically, they do well but abroad it’s a different story,” he says. “Why would someone [overseas] go out of his way to buy a New Zealand Bordeaux-style red instead of those from France?” HawkesBay has quite a lot to boot when it comes to making these Kiwi Clarets. The climate, says Geris, is benign, a mix of warm and cool conditions that allow the fruit to develop their flavours. The Gimblett Gravels are rich in minerals and old river sediment, and their myriad soil types give vintners options to pick the right spots for the different requirements of their grapes. Geris wants to tinker with Viognier, Verdelho, a white Portuguese grape, and Arneis, a white Italian variety, in HawkesBay.
As chief Marlborough winemaker, Geris’ job scope, will largely be focused on the rugged southern region’s vineyards and winery. The facility was built in 1999 as a riposte to the growth of the wine region and its reputation for top Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Before its construction, Villa Maria was shipping fruit from Marlborough back to Auckland, and was also making wine out of a contracted winery in the former. It made sense for them to set up a permanent camp.
Their stake in Marlborough has given them a better understanding a Pinot Noir, New Zealand’s ‘It’ red grape. “Generally, Marlborough’s Pinot Noir-style lies somewhere between Central Otago’s and Martinborough [in the North Island],” explains Geris. “The former is more fruit forward, while the latter is gamier and more savoury. The ones from Marlborough’s Pinots have an elegance and fragrance.”
Add rusticity to the taste profile, too. The winery’s Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2012 has a distinct bouquet of dried leaves and bark, and a subtle perfumed note of mint. The delicious cherry fruit flavour lingers on my palate, hinting at its ability to age well. This is a Pinot you’d serve to critics who still question whether New Zealand’s Pinot Noirs are overrated.
The country’s Sauvignon Blanc—Marlborough’s ruling grape variety—has received some harsh criticism from wine scribes who argued that wineries are making the white quaff in a largely homogenous style, with character taking a backseat. With a little laugh, Geris says he takes that as a compliment and opines that this ‘homogeneity’ reflects, instead, on the impressive and consistent quality the country’s vintners have achieved for the wine over the years. “You almost can’t make a bad Sauvignon Blanc these days,” he muses. “Maybe in the future, we’ll have more Sauvignon Blancs made from sub-regions, such as Dashwood and Seaview in Marlborough.”
EMPHASISING SUSTAINABILITY
Take a look at the parking lot outside Villa Maria’s winery and you’d notice that many of the vehicles are eco-friendly hybrid cars, which are mainly driven by the sales representatives. The initiative is just part of Villa Maria’s holistic effort in promoting sustainability and letting it improve their winemaking methods. “For us, being sustainable isn’t just about working organically in the vineyards (we have certification from BioGro, a non-profit organic producer and consumer organisation),” says Geris. “We are always looking for other ways to recycle and save energy. For example, instead of using refrigeration in our warehouses, we bring the cool night air in from the cooling ducts to chill the storage spaces.” Waste heat from the refrigeration plant is also used to heat water and grape juice for fermentation.
It’d be a pity to not follow such environmentally friendly principles, muses Geris. After, New Zealand is known as a clean green land, and winemakers should ensure it is “preserved for future generations”.
“The other challenge is to maintain our wines’ high quality, which can only get better as our vines age and develop better flavours for the fruit,” says Geris. “The future is bright.”
Tasting Notes
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2013
Aromas of lime, figs and melon. The fruity notes linger gently on the palate before a refreshing acidity kicks in to round out the flavours.
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Pinot Noir 2012
This entry level Pinot Noir shows some class. Lots of dark cherry flavours, cinnamon touches and fine tannins. Excellent with duck and lamb. Put this away in your cellar for another five more years.
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Taylor’s Pass Pinot Noir 2010
A bouquet of twigs and dried leaves, followed by gentle note of soya and a light scent of mint. The cherry notes are deep and the wine’s structure is rather lean and tight. In short, a top Pinot.
Villa Maria’s wines are available from The Beam Cellar.