Spotlight on Sauvignon Blanc Wine – New Zealand Variety
Sauvignon Blanc, a popular French white wine grape variety that typically produces dry, refreshing, lively and fruity wines with little to no oak influence, is the perfect pick for summer or winter with an great affinity for food.
One of the most distinctive wines in the world, Sauvignon Blanc, offers inviting and assertive aromas with mouth-watering acidity and tell-tale characteristics of gooseberry, grapefruit, kiwi fruit, melon, fresh cut grass, herbs and cat pee (a description frequently used in wine circles!). Good Sauvignon Blanc wines dance about the palate with ease, exuding a youthful liveliness of energy and freshness.
Another popular reason why many consider it sunshine in the glass, is the price, or better yet, QPR (quality to price ratio). Crisp and lively examples of Sauvignon Blanc wines can be found at great price points, usually less than NZ$15.
New Zealand has emerged as a prime area for Sauvignon Blanc wines, and what they have accomplished is the envy of many world wine producing regions. With the sought-after Cloudy Bay 1985 vintage, New Zealand burst on to the international wine scene and has since become the face of Sauvignon Blanc to many seekers of the wine. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is a very distinctive style; with just about every characteristic of the grape variety heightened, making it a brightly-fruited and assertive wine with brisk acidity in the glass.
The Marlborough region on South Island is the most important region for Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand, and makes the style of Sauvignon Blanc that many producers, California included, are trying to make their wines in today. Location means a lot in New Zealand; for example on North Island from Hawke’s Bay, it will likely be slightly fuller and richer with a little less acidity as the region is much warmer and known more for its Chardonnay and red wines like Syrah.