The sun isn’t the only thing that’ll be making you blush this Wednesday! This week for Wine Wednesday, I’ve picked a fabulous blush sauvignon rosé from Villa Maria that is sure to be perfect for summer sipping. If you’re looking to give a new rosé a try this week then you’re definitely going to want to take note of this one. This post contains an item that was given to me as a press sample as well as affiliate links. For more information please feel free to read my disclaimer and privacy policy.
Villa Maria: A Bit About The Brand
Beginning as a one-man band back in 1961, Villa Maria is a Mangere, Auckland-based winery founded by George Fistonich. He started off with just one acre of vines in his Mangere location and, throughout the 1960s, ran the business by himself with his supporting wife, Gail, by his side. It was in the early 1970s that he began to start employing staff. Not long after, the business began to take off and the rest is history!
Now, Villa Maria has over 250 permanent staff and exports wine to over 60 countries worldwide. The winery has won plenty of awards and recognitions, including a knighthood for its founder, George Fistonich, for his services to the wine industry. In 2013, Villa Maria was named Wine Company of the Year at the NZ International Wine Show and in 2015 received 4th place in Drinks International UK’s World’s 50 Most Admired Wine Brands.
Villa Maria believes in living life to the fullest whilst making sure that they are doing their bit to protect the earth for future generations. In 1995 they became an accredited Sustainable Wine-growing New Zealand member. They’re continuing to work towards their sustainability goals by taking steps to achieve zero waste, reducing their carbon emissions and transitioning all of their vineyards to produce organic wines.
Villa Maria Blush Sauvignon
Onto the wine itself. The Villa Maria Blush Sauvignon (2020) is a blend of sauvignon blanc and merlot. 90% sauvignon blanc and 10% merlot. Villa Maria describes their 2020 season as long and dry across their key wine-growing regions. The result has meant they’ve ended up with riper fruit and even more delicious wine (sold!). Fermented in stainless steel tanks, their 2020 Blush Sauvignon is a direct product of the ‘extra delicious wine-making season’ and sits at a hefty 13% ABV. Side note: Is anyone else still getting used to wines having 2020 on the label? Like, seriously, it still feels like we’re in 2018 to me. Anyway, back to the wine. Villa Maria describes it as:
FLORAL | DELICATE | VIBRANT
On the nose, I was mostly getting tropical fruits, which aren’t really a regular occurrence for me with my usual rosés of choice. This had me intrigued. Villa Maria suggests that the aromas that may come from their Blush Sauvignon could be passionfruit and fresh herbs. The passionfruit was definitely there for me!
Tasting the Blush Sauvignon: My Thoughts
As was the case with the aromas, the tropical fruit really came through in the taste of the wine. It’s a fairly dry rosé but was full of fruity flavours. For me, it actually tasted a lot like some of my favourite white wines that are heavy on tropical fruit flavours. A unique rosé for sure! Villa Maria recommends serving their Blush Sauvignon chilled as an aperitif…and I confirm that it’s a winner.
Pair it with some tunes
Did you know that I have a Wine Wednesday playlist on Spotify? Yeah, that’s right, you can now enjoy wines that have the F O stamp of approval alongside the perfect wine-drinking playlist. I’ll even do you one better and recommend five songs that I think go perfectly with a glass of Villa Maria Blush Sauvignon.
- Solar Power – Lorde
- So Good At Being in Trouble – Unknown Mortal Orchestra
- Delicate – Taylor Swift
- Flowers In The Window – Travis
- Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves
Where can you pick up a bottle of Villa Maria Blush Sauvignon?
The good news is you can pick it up in pretty much any supermarket in the UK including; Asda, Morrisons, Tesco and Sainsbury’s (currently on offer at £8.00). So, basically, you have no excuse not to treat yourself to a bottle this week! Have you tried any of Villa Maria’s wines before? Does the Villa Maria Blush Sauvignon sound like a bit of you? Let me know in the comments.
Dry but fruity and still tropical has me so intrigued. When it comes to rose, my palette is about as developed as a 14 year old trying to get someone to buy them the cheapest option going. I like them really sweet, like dessert wine sweet. But the way you’ve described the flavours in this one makes me think that I might actually like something dry for a change. Definitely going to give this one a try x
It was so different to any rosé I’d had before! If you decide to give it a go, let me know what you think of it 🙂 x
Im not usually a white wine girl BUT this sounds absolutely yummy.
Perfect as well as a picnic wine !
Thank you for sharing !
Glad you like the sound of it!
I absolutely adore a good rose, especially in summer. Red doesn’t agree with me and sometimes white is too sharp, so rose is a lovely balance. This sounds delicious, and even better that you can get it in the supermarkets too!
You can’t beat a lovely glass of rosé on a sunny day! So glad that you like the sound of it 🙂
Ooh, the first thing that popped into my mind was that this would probably be dry! I love rose! It’s my fav wine! Well, if I’m being honest, I love all wines Lol! I’ll keep an eye out for this! Thanks for sharing x
Lynn | https://www.lynnmumbingmejia.com
Hahaha I’m right there with you Lynn — all wine is good wine! 🙂