WINE 100 Presents - New Zealand & Oysters... Monday, August 5th, 5:30pm to 7:00pm

Taste the outstanding wines of New Zealand’s Villa Maria Winery and Esk Valley Estate

with Oysters provided by Changing Tide Oyster Co. (Morehead City, NC)

Villa Maria’s 60 year journey at the forefront of New Zealand’s wine industry has shaped the company and the industry as it stands today. In 1961, at just 21 years of age, Sir George Fistonich leased five acres of land from his father in Mangere, Auckland and started off with just an acre of vines. The first wine under the name Villa Maria in 1962 was made with grapes harvested from this block. Today, Villa Maria is a globally recognized and adored for its bold, expressive and exceptional New Zealand wines. Their extensive portfolio is one the most geographically and stylistically diverse and highly-awarded range of premium wines by any New Zealand producer, fueling consumer adoration and success across the globe.

Esk Valley Estate has come a long way since Sir George Fistonich purchased Hawkes Bay’s historic Glenvale Winery from the Bird Family in 1986. From a time when ports and sherries ruled the market, Esk Valley began forging a reputation for its innovative and quality wines. Under winemaker Gordon Russell Esk Valley broke boundaries introducing new grape varieties and new wine styles to Hawkes Bay. From the original historic cellars in the north of Hawkes Bay to Esk Valley’s new purpose built winery within the confines of the renowned Gimblett Gravels, Esk Valley continues to produce a collection of wines regarded amongst New Zealand's finest. Utilizing a very traditional and hands off approach including concrete fermenters for the finest parcels of red grapes, Esk Valley continues to build on its reputation.

Changing Tide Oyster Co. (Morehead City, NC.) Mason Allen started his first business at the age of twelve selling hand-made fishing tackle. At the age of sixteen, Mason was old enough to start doing what he was truly passionate about: growing oysters. With the support of his parents, Chris and Allyson, he got his first shellfish lease in 2022 and immediately went to work to get Changing Tide Oyster Company off the ground. Just over a year later, his small business has sold around 350,000 oysters and catered hundreds of events, and this is just the beginning.

Changing Tide offers the freshest, most flavorful oysters available. Their South River Salties are harvested to order so that they never spend a minute longer out of the water than they have to. They tumble their product six times during its life span creating a spectacular oyster with a thick, easy-to-shuck shell filled with a delicious meat.