THE SAUVIGNON SEASON starts on APRIL 24
Many of us drink Sauvignon Blanc year round, but the wine’s spirit is certainly aligned with the season of Spring. Freshness, vitality and suggestions of the colour green. And a platter of local asparagus. France has been producing Sauvignon for ever, but it was New Zealand that created the current craze for SauvBlanc ““ as some like to call it. A Californian winery hit on the idea of an annual International Sauvignon Blanc Day ““ a global social media wine tasting, so on April 24, you can join the Twitter chat @nzwine and using #nzwine and #sauvblanc. Of course you will want to be drinking the stuff, so here are a few suggestions.
THE BORDEAUX ORIGINAL:
Few know that Bordeaux was one of the original Sauvignon Blanc players. The style is lightish, lean and more tangy dry than most. Perfect for those of us who enjoy the “˜edge.’ A perky aperitif or seafood appetizer wine.
FAMILLE EXCELLOR 12 Sauvignon Blanc, Entre deux Mers, Bordeaux, France 403915 Vintages $14.95
DRINK LOCAL:
Pelee has always produced a very gulpable edition of SauvBlanc. The current vintage is mild-mannered with an easy drinking nature. More fruity than the usual savoury quality, and potentially as crowd pleasing as a PG. Get the party started, and keep it going.
PELEE ISLAND 12 Sauvignon Blanc “˜Lighthouse’, VQA Ontario 371500 $12.95
ROCKIN KIWI:
Whitehaven is high energy, bold flavoured ““ unmistaken Kiwi expression. The Heavy Metal of dry white wines. How much energy can you handle! With the discount, this has to be a must-buy for hard-core Savignon ~ fans.
WHITEHAVEN 13 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand 308288 Vintages $18.80 ($15.80 till April 26***)
