A collaboration of four of New Zealand’s premium wine brands have come together to offer a unique wine tasting experience in the heart of Hawkes Bay. 

Te Awa, Esk Valley, Vidal and Villa Maria wines are now being showcased together at the beautifully refurbished Te Awa Cellar Door where wine enthusiasts can taste some of the best wines New Zealand has on offer.  Breaking the traditional confines of tasting just one wine brand at a cellar door, we now offer customers a stunning array of four of New Zealand’s most premium wines.

“We are extremely fortunate to have so many incredible wines in our stable which has enabled us to create a unique and special experience for our customers at our cellar door. We’ve bought together four exceptional, but uniquely different wine brands and each is a shining star in its own right,” said Karen Fistonich, Executive Director, Villa Maria Winery.

Te Awa Cellar Door is one of Hawkes Bay’s most popular wine destinations and Esk Valley has now joined the collection of wines after its much loved cellar door in Bay View closed its doors in April.  Winemaker Gordon Russell crafts wines with unique personality using traditional methods and local knowledge accumulated over many years to capture the best of every vintage. 

Esk Valley has been at the forefront of New Zealand wine since its first vintage in 1988 and is renowned for its Merlot based Gimblett Gravels reds and the revered ‘Heipipi’ The Terraces. Holding dear to its artisanal values by fermenting all premium reds in concrete tanks is part of what makes Esk Valley wines unique and special.

A premium selection of Vidal wines, renowned for their unique style and individuality, have been carefully selected by winemaker Hugh Crichton and can be tasted on site too. Vidal was originally crafted in 1888 by Anthony Joseph Vidal when he arrived on New Zealand’s shores as a fresh faced 22-year-old Spanish emigrant. Hugh has continued his legacy of crafting classic and elegant wines and is especially proud of the Vidal Legacy Chardonnay which is available for tasting.

Served alongside Te Awa, Vidal Estate and Esk Valley – Villa Maria has now been introduced to the wonderful array of tasting flights. With existing cellar doors in Auckland and Marlborough – Hawkes Bay visitors are now able to taste an exclusive selection of Villa Maria’s award winning wines. Villa Maria is New Zealand’s most awarded winery and has been named as one of the top three most admired wine brands in the world.

“We are delighted to bring such a fabulous array of wines to our customers at one cellar door. This is a true collaboration of quality wine brands and we know our customers will be delighted with their wine-tasting experience here. Brittany – our cellar door manager and her fabulous team of knowledgeable, passionate cellar door assistants are waiting to share their love of wine and the stories behind them with our customers,” said Karen Fistonich.

The Te Awa Cellar Door, located in the Gimblett Gravels, is open 7 days a week between 10am-4pm.