Our Riesling vines are amongst the oldest in Marlborough, planted in 1981 they were some of the first vines grafted on phylloxera resistant rootstock in the area. The original vineyard was established by Wellington engineer Rex Brooke-Taylor who took the name Framingham from his ancestral home town near Norwich, England. Our initial releases were produced using other wineries' facilities. The first wine released under the Framingham name was a 1994 Riesling. Our winery and tasting room were built in 1997, and a specialist red wine handling facility and barrel hall was added in 2002. We produced wine from our new winery on Conders Bend Road in the Wairau Valley for the first time in 1998. Today we are a family-owned Sogrape company, our range includes Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Viognier and Montepulciano. In past years we have also produced Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Pinotage, Merlot, Merlot-Malbec, Chenin Blanc and Methode Champenoise.

Pinot Noir, one of the grapes that create the finest red wines in the world, is the type of red wine grape that I, Hiroyuki KUSUDA, like the best of all. My dream is to produce a Pinot Noir that can be acknowledged at the highest level. In order to pursue that dream, I immigrated to New Zealand with my family in May 2001, where I believe has one of the greatest potentials to grow Pinot Noir. Please keep an eye on KUSUDA WINES Pinot Noir.

A commitment to traditional winemaking techniques combined with ripe Hawke's Bay fruit results in wines that express complexity, texture and a sense of place.

In 1961, at just 21 years of age, George leased five acres of land from his father in Mangere, Auckland and started off with just an acre of vines. He harvested his first grapes in 1962 and made his first wine under the name Villa Maria. Throughout the 1960s Villa Maria was a one-man band, with George’s wife, Gail, supporting him in his venture. He made dry red and white wines, sourcing grapes from the greater Auckland regions. In the early 1970s he started to employ staff and the company began to expand rapidly. Today, Villa Maria employs more than 250 permanent staff and exports wine to over 50 countries worldwide.

Our aim is to grow grapes of the highest quality, which fully express the features of the vineyard, and to handle these with the utmost respect. Minimal intervention at all stages from vine to bottle typifies our approach. We believe in traditional sustainable viticultural management, low crop levels, minimal handling of fruit during processing and gentle pressing. We allow wines to go through natural malolactic fermentation and clarify by settling. We aspire to capture the unique flavours of the vineyard in our wine.