When it comes to choosing a white wine, there is an inordinate amount of choice. Whatever your taste buds like, you will be able to find a wine to suit you as the styles range from crisp, dry, light wines through to fruity, sweet wines.

However, when it comes to Sauvignon Blanc, it is definitely New Zealand who is leading the way in the New World wine market.

The original Sauvignon Blanc wines are from the Loire valley in France, in particular from Sancerre, a small town east of Orleans. Sancerre is known for making wines of great flavour and elegance.

New Zealand’s Sauvignon Blanc is now, however, seen as being on a par with the world’s best. Championed by wine critics such as Oz Clarke, Jancis Robinson and Master of Wine John Avery, the wine itself is typically crisp and pure in flavour. Try it for yourself, and discover its fuller flavour.

The first production of the wine was back in the 1970’s. This was in many ways due to the economic situation in New Zealand at the time. Britain had just joined the European Economic Community and this meant an end to historic trade terms for New Zealand, meaning that the agriculture industry had to restructure and specialise wisely according to its strengths. The result was an increase in viticulture.

The first wines of note were produced in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. This is on the South Island and the area includes the now famous Cloudy Bay which lends its name to one of the best known New World white wines, Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes for this wine are not actually grown at Cloudy Bay but further inland.

Marlborough has more than 40 resident winemakers. The area has optimum wine growing conditions: lots of sunshine, dry autumn weather and great drainage. The result of this geology and these agricultural conditions is a lot of producers of Sauvignon Blanc (there are other types of wine produced here too, but this is the Ferrari of wines for this area) apart from the Cloudy Bay label, others to look out for include multi award-winning Saint Clair, Vidal, Hunter’s, Jackson Estate and Vavasour.

Besides the Marlborough region, there is another area of New Zealand that is producing some exceptional Sauvignon Blanc wine. Hawkes Bay in the North Island is traditionally seen as being a red wine region, but it also has a finger in the white wine pie too. The Sauvignon Blanc here is one to watch out for and some of the wineries associated with it are: Villa Maria, Matariki, Brookfields and Trinity Hill.

So next time you want to buy a white wine that is flavoursome but not overwhelming, search out a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Why not take a look at what is on offer at Averys (Dot) Com.  Fiona Muller