Villa Maria offers vineyard tours by app

New Zealand wine producer Villa Maria has launched what it claims is “the first comprehensive regional vineyard app”, allowing users to take a virtual tour of its various sites.

Taking in Villa Maria vineyards in Marlborough, Hawkes Bay, Gisborne and Auckland, the free smartphone app offers 360° views and additional features such as harvest videos.

Introducing the initiative, Villa Maria founder Sir George Fistonich said :“We are excited about sharing our fantastic vineyards direct with our customers. Being a leader in innovation our virtual vineyard is a great way for people to visit us without having to travel thousands of miles.”

Meanwhile Villa Maria UK brand manager at Hatch Mansfield, Fiona Mottershaw, highlighted the educational value of the app for consumers. “We know that an increasing number of our customers are interested in the traceability of products and this app is a fantastic way for them to virtually visit the vineyards and learn more about the wine’s origin,” she explained.

To raise awareness of the app, Villa Maria has launched an on-pack promotion for its Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc 2014, which is due to arrive on UK shelves within the next month.

A QR (Quick Response) code on bottle stickers will take customers to a webpage where they can download the app and enter a competition to win a case of wine.