Villa Maria received the Winery of the Year Award for the best Wine with Food Combination at the 2012 Vintners? Brunch on 12 August at the Skycity Convention Centre. The winning wine and food match was Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawkes Bay Arneis 2011 with a mixed sashimi of scallop, salmon, tuna & snapper with cucumber, tobiko, wasabi tartare and ginger sesame dressing from Ebisu Restaurant.
The Vintners? Brunch is a charity event raising funds for the North Shore Hospice. The brunch is about food and wine pairing with the guests voting for their favourite food and wine match. 450 guests attended the annual fundraiser this year, with 12 restaurants and wineries showcasing their dishes and wines on the day. Some of the restaurants this year included The Grove, Dine by Peter Gordon, O?Connell Street Bistro, Harbourside, Caf? Hanoi and The Depot.