CUVAR

The Fistonich family wine story began in New Zealand in 1949, when Croatian immigrants Andrija and Mandica Fistonich were granted their first licence to sell wine, made to share with family, friends and their local community. Their son George grew up among the vines and, at twenty-one, established Villa Maria in 1961. Over the decades that followed he helped shape the modern New Zealand wine industry, championing quality, investing in Hawke’s Bay and leading the move to screwcaps. He was knighted for services to the industry in 2009. After the family sold Villa Maria in 2021, Sir George began again. At eighty-four he founded Cuvar Winery as the family’s next chapter, for the love of great wine. Cuvar (pronounced chu-var) means “guardian” in Croatian, honouring the pioneers who built New Zealand’s wine industry and the family’s responsibility to leave a stronger legacy for future generations. Today Cuvar is led by Karen Fistonich, Sir George’s daughter, who has worked in the family wine business for almost three decades. From three estate-owned Hawke’s Bay vineyards, Cuvar crafts contemporary classic New Zealand wines across the Iris and Guardians Collections.