Villa Maria New Zealand Named Official Winery Partner for

Fans Can Enter the Villa Maria Sweepstakes for a Chance to “Wine and Dine” with the Band

Auckland, New Zealand — Villa Maria, New Zealand’s most awarded winery, and the popular synth-pop band St. Lucia have joined forces. Villa Maria will be the band’s official winery partner for St. Lucia’s 2016 North American tour, celebrating the release of their second album, “Matter,” available Jan. 29 from Columbia Records.

“We’ve long been a fan of Villa Maria’s incredible wines, so we are thrilled to partner with them for our 2016 tour,” said St. Lucia frontman and founder Jean-Philip Grobler.

St. Lucia’s high-energy musical style, punctuated by electric guitar, explosive percussion and complex brass arrangements is a natural pairing for Villa Maria’s crisp, fruit-forward Sauvignon Blancs and bright, berry and red cherry-laden Pinot Noirs. The partnership is part of Villa Maria’s endeavor to share the New Zealand “kiwi” lifestyle and laid-back approach to life and entertaining.

As part of the partnership, Villa Maria and St. Lucia are also hosting a nationwide sweepstakes for a chance to wine and dine with the band. Beginning January 18 and running through February 18, fans can enter to win one of two trips to California this March to experience a Villa Maria paired multi-course dinner with members of St. Lucia followed by tickets to the concert. To learn more about the sweepstakes and to enter, visit www.villamariawine.com/win. (No purchase necessary, terms and conditions apply. Must be 21 or over to enter).

St. Lucia exploded onto the music scene in 2013 with the release of their first album, “When The Night.” The band has since received rave reviews from critics, including Billboard magazine which called St. Lucia, “essential listening.” They have played shows everywhere from Coachella to Lollapalooza and have made appearances on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers.” Their 2016 tour kicks of Jan. 29 in New York and many of the shows are already sold out.

Villa Maria and St. Lucia also happen to share similar approaches to their crafts. “Dancing On Glass,” the lead single on “Matter” bubbles over with contagious vivacity as Grobler sings about having the faith to chase what makes you happy, even if logic and practicality tell you not to. The song echoes the story of Villa Maria’s early beginnings. Founder Sir George Fistonich started his winery in 1961 at just 21 years of age by leasing five acres of land from his father and began with just a single acre of vines. In 50 short years, Villa Maria has grown from a self-proclaimed “one man band” to a global wine brand.

To learn more about Villa Maria, visit www.villamariawine.com. To learn more about St. Lucia and their upcoming tour, visit www.stlucianewyork.com.

ABOUT VILLA MARIA: The Villa Maria story is one of absolute passion. Each wine is crafted in the unique, fruit-driven style of New Zealand, showcasing the very best of the country’s distinct wine regions. Villa Maria sources grapes from New Zealand’s premium grape growing regions, including Marlborough and Hawkes Bay, and produces wines in state-of-the-art winemaking facilities in Auckland and Marlborough. The winery Sir George Fistonich started in 1961 is still family owned and stands as an icon of superior quality and innovation in New Zealand winemaking. In 2015, Drinks International named Villa Maria the most admired wine brand in New Zealand and fourth most admired wine brand in the world. To learn more, visit www.villamariawine.com.

ABOUT ST. LUCIA: St. Lucia is back with an infectious new single “Dancing on Glass” and a brand new album “Matter.” And with those comes a series of North American dates, following up on the band’s sold out fall 2014 headline tour. St. Lucia’s 2013 debut LP “When The Night” earned raves everywhere from Entertainment Weekly (“an absolute smash”) to Elle (“we have an obsession for this group”) to Billboard (“essential listening”). The last two years have also seen the band touring with the likes of Ellie Goulding, Empire Of The Sun, Charli XCX, Foster The People, performed at Coachella and Lollapalooza, and appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” and “Late Night With Seth Meyers.” To learn more, visit www.stlucianewyork.com.

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For further information:
Christina Starr, Communications Manager
christina.starr@smwe.com