Importer Ed Barker talks about and pours three fantastic New Zealand white wines that he imports, and reminds us that New Zealand can strut its terroir just as well as Napa and the Loire!
Javier Castro, our wine-loving friend from Madrid, shows us his recipe for Sangria… using his favorite cheap, summer white- South African Sauvignon Blanc!
Gooseberries, icy lemon candy, and wet slate on the nose. 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Semillon, and 20% Muscadelle. This wine makes me happy. Not only do you get to feel cool for drinking a Bordeaux, you also get to feel good for drinking a bottle of exceptionally well-made wine.
Cheap White + Ugly Museum = Bad Morning
The terroir of this wine doesn’t sing me lullabies as I go to sleep, but somebody knew how to pull the strings of these grapes so even a wine snob lover like myself could enjoy a really nice glass of white wine under $15…. a little known secret about wine snobs lovers is that we love to pay big money for perfect whites- cheap poorly made white wine just reminds us of hangovers on the back steps of some out-of-place art museum.
Grapefruit, Kentucky bluegrass, and orange pith on the nose. Medium-bodied with only the slightest acidity. A chalk-driven and ultra-soft finish. Kudos to Raymond for adding 5% Semillon grapes. The Semillon here both adds a pear and orange pollen note to the wine (subtle), and makes me wish it were spring.
Do yourself a huge favor next time you are in the mood for white wine- buy a bottle of $12-$20 Marlborough New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Why?
- Nearly all of them have the same flavor profile so it’s an ultra-safe bet at any restaurant or wine shop even if your waiter can’t tell a taxi cab from a Napa cab. Think citrus fruits, tropical yellow and red fruits, and an herbaceous green finish.
- You’ll know instantly whether or not you like the “zingy, zippy, zesty, and crisp” side of white wine. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has this mouthwatering acidity that seems to be translate into layman’s terms as “refreshing,” which is never a bad thing, right?
The Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc leans harder towards the seeded, red tropical fruits and fresh cut lawn than some Sauvignon Blancs, and it gets people to either celebrate summer or pretend for a moment that there isn’t a pending snow fall in just a few weeks.
$14.99 @ T.B. Ackerson.
7.1/10