Villa Maria Estate’s Jeremy McKenzie Shares Passion for Winemaking
Jeremy McKenzie, senior Marlborough winemaker of New Zealand winery Villa Maria Estate, visits Vancouver in July. Villa Maria Estate is New Zealand’s leading wine award winner, both locally and overseas.
Villa Maria Estate’s esteemed founder, Sir George Fistonich, visited Vancouver in April when New Zealand was a theme region at the 32nd Annual Vancouver International Playhouse Wine Festival.
As senior winemaker, McKenzie is responsible for overseeing the production of wines at Villa Maria Estate’s vineyard in Marlborough, the South Island wine growing region that is highly regarded for its Sauvignon Blanc. McKenzie manages all stages of the winemaking process from vineyard to bottle.
Sustainability is a founding objective of the winery, which emphasizes the importance of leaving a positive legacy for the next generation. An active and accredited member of Sustainable Wine Growing New Zealand (SWNZ), Villa Maria Estate incorporates sustainability into all facets of its operations: night-air cooling, organic vineyards and winery, natural lighting, recycling, and the use of hybrid vehicles and renewable energy. In 2009, Villa Maria Estate began the process of gaining CEMARS certification (Certified Emissions Measurement & Reduction Scheme).
Born and raised in Canterbury, Jeremy began his winemaking career as a vineyard assistant for Wairau River Wines, before taking on the cellarhand position at Rapaura Vintners in 2001. The next few years saw Jeremy work vintages throughout Australia and France, gaining valuable experience across a wide range of old- and new-world wines. In 2006, McKenzie began his career with Villa Maria Group as Marlborough winemaker.
An avid outdoorsman, McKenzie regularly indulges his passion for hunting wild boar, scuba diving, fishing and adventure/multisport racing. He, his partner, Bek and their children, Finn and Neve, reside on their elevated hillside vineyard planted in Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc overlooking Marlborough’s Omaka Valley. McKenzie relishes life in this part of the world.
“There is a strong association between the products from the region, the pure, clean waters and crisp air,” he says. “To view Marlborough on a crisp Spring day with the snow-clad mountains in the background and emerging green buds on the vines is an amazing experience and contributes to the purity and cleanliness of the region. This is exemplified in our local produce, wine and quality of life.”
Fistonich founded Villa Maria Estate in Auckland in 1961. Today, Villa Maria Estate operates the Auckland Winery and Cellar Door and Marlborough Winery and Cellar Door. Villa Maria Estate’s premium grapes are also grown in the North Island’s Gisborne and Hawkes Bay regions.
