Sauvignon Blanc at Fresh Choice Nelson. What a selection! Here’s our wine expert, Neil Hodgson to tell you all about the excellent range we have in store… Over to you Neil!
Sauvignon Blanc is the single variety that made New Zealand wine famous around the world.
The variety had been grown in France for centuries and other countries for decades before New Zealand winemakers tried their hand with it, and the exuberant flavours delivered when grown in New Zealand conditions created an instant sensation.
While the international buzz started in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Sauvignon Blanc is still the backbone of the New Zealand wine industry making up 74% of all wine produced here and over 85% of all New Zealand wine exported, it is incredibly important to the industry.
Just as importantly it can be a wonderful wine simply bursting with bright, fresh summer flavours that you can buy at really great prices, often below $10 a bottle.
This variety has flavours influenced by where it is grown; consider the soft, ripe versions from Sancerre in France and the vibrant versions from Marlborough, then compare Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc with the wines grown in Nelson; the acidity of that grown in Nelson tends to be a little softer and more approachable while still retaining the same punchy fresh summer characters.
There are plenty of people who love the sharp, crisp acidity of the Marlborough style but I tend to reach for a bottle of Nelson Sauvignon Blanc when I do drink it.
Seifried Estate have a range of very good examples, their Old Coach Road Sauvignon Blanc 2015 has won a bucket load of gold medals and a trophy as well, and you can buy it on promotion at Fresh choice Nelson for just $9.99.
And that is another thing, you don’t need to drink Sauvignon Blanc just when it is young. Aged versions can develop a wonderful complexity, as evidenced in the organic Gravity Sauvignon Blanc 2014 from Mahana for just $16.99, a saving of $4.
Next time you reach for a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc select something a little different with softer acidity by choosing a Nelson wine or maybe even a barrel fermented version.
