Getting 'Savvy' With It

The introduction of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc in the 1980s, as the definitive benchmark style for the varietal saw New Zealand wine explode onto the international scene. World-beating performances in international competitions, rapturous critical reviews and exuberant, pungent flavours made it easy for wine lovers across the world to fall in love! Here we get up close & personal with New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Oz Clarke summed up the impact of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in his Wine Atlas when he wrote, "No previous wine had shocked, thrilled, entranced the world before with such brash, unexpected flavours of gooseberries, passionfruit and lime, or crunchy green asparagus spears...an entirely new, brilliantly successful wine style that the rest of the world has been attempting to copy ever since".

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc can be broadly divided into two main regional styles: Northern (Hawkes Bay and further north) and Southern (the South Island and Wellington regions). Northern Sauvignon Blanc styles tend to be riper and richer with melon, nectarine and other stone fruit flavours. Southern Sauvignon Blanc styles are typically lighter and crisper with passionfruit and other pungent fruit flavours as well as red pepper (capsicum), gooseberry and herbal characters.

While Marlborough retains its status as one of the world’s foremost wine producing regions, the quality of wines from elsewhere in the country is making some noise. So what can you expect from New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc?

The Marlborough benchmark style is known as a “Pungently aromatic and explosively flavoured wine, its zesty character redolent of green capsicum (bell-pepper) and gooseberry with tropical fruit overtones.” Young, fresh New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc often has a clear, colourless appearance, take a deep sniff and you will savour the famously pure, intense aromas of this classic New Zealand wine.

Increasingly there are sub regional styles coming out of Marlborough most notably:

Rapaura Distric displays passion fruit and grapefruit, with a flinty character. Sweet ripe tropical fruit with excellent length which produces wines which display ‘typical’ riper, guava and passionfruit spectrum, but also a mineral, fine bodied character. The Southern Valley shows green capsicum, grapefruit and cut grass with a lengthy rich palate. The Awatere Valley produces wines which display intense sweet herb characters and a tomato stalk note with nettles and a palate with fruit sweetness.

New Zealand has a lot more to offer a wine lover than Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough alone, so why not try some of these other regions on for style:

Gisborne Tropical, passionfruit and nectarine fruit flavours whilst retaining New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc's typical freshness.
Hawkes Bay Retains the freshness typical of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc while exhibiting ripe tropical fruit flavours.
Wairarapa Low cropping and a long ripening period result in wines showing riper, more tropical characters but with excellent palate weight, freshness and acidity on the palate
Nelson With classical varietal aromas of gooseberry and citrus and a palate characterised by its minerality, Nelson Sauvignon Blanc has elegance and subtlety. 
Canterbury / Waipara The palate shows ripe passionfruit and capsicum flavours, filled out by a luscious creaminess, and followed by an intense backbone of acid. 
Central Otago  Appealingly concentrated and vivacious wine, focused on dried hay, gooseberry and riper tropical fruit with an undercurrent of minerality.

"Fresh is best"- Sauvignon Blanc with Food

It's the golden rule. The vibrant flavours of Sauvignon Blanc enhance the freshness of seafood and white fish especially when served with citrus or garlic based sauces. Crunchy summer salads and capsicums both find a flattering echo of flavour in Sauvignon Blanc, while relatively high acid foods, such as tomatoes, and vinegar-based dressings also make a appealing match.
There is no doubt that the perfect match for New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is Bluff Oysters and with the season just having kicked off and first indications that they will be fresh, plump and juicy, best stock up early for the season ahead. If Oysters are not your style, then don't despair as there are lots of other food matching suggestions for New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc:

• Seafood: Pan-fried fish, Salmon, Scallops
• Meat: Chicken, Veal, Turkey
• International cuisine: Indian, Thai, Chinese, Japanese
• Vegetables: Avocado, Salads, Asparagus

My pick for best enjoyed with is a fresh home-made classic guacamole as a dip with corn chips or dry crackers. Alternatively use the guacamole as a topping for char-grilled fish or chicken.

Ingredients
3 ripe avocados - peeled, stones removed
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 onion, diced
Small handful chopped fresh coriander
2 plum tomatoes,diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

Method
In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice and salt.
Mix in onion, coriander, tomatoes and garlic.
Stir in cayenne pepper.
Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavour, or serve immediately.

Feeling the love for these Sauvignon Blanc wines

 Invivo Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (Marlborough)

Intensity of flavour with amazing intensity of structure but with a bit of an edge to it. Symphony of exciting flavours with citrus, herbs and spice- just scrumptious.

Saint Clair Vicar’s Choice Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (Marlborough)

Light & luscious Sauvignon Blanc. If this wine were a woman it would be Nigella Lawson, curvy rather than sharp, with subtle sweetness and great for parties in the sun.

Lobster Reef Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (Marlborough)

Great value Sauvignon Blanc, it's fresh and zesty, with notes of gooseberries and lime and a lovely tangy crisp finish. 

Peregrine Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (Central Otago)

Wow, summer in Central Otago’s captured in a bottle. Classic gooseberry, tropical fruit flavours but with edginess and texture to give it punch.

Mission Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (Hawke's Bay)

A light and fresh aromatic wine with lovely ripe flavours with dry, crisp, full of flavour finish. A good example of the regional style.

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