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New Zealand sauvignon blanc, particularly from Marlborough, has dominated wine exports with its fresh, fruity profile suitable for solo drinking or food pairing. This article tests the quality of less expensive options (under €15) from various retailers, highlighting consistent goodness and the dominance of Marlborough in production, while suggesting consumers explore other NZ varietals like riesling or pinot noir.
by Montana in 1975. Few would have predicted that it would become such a success. Marlborough sauvignon now accounts for 78 per cent of New Zealand grape production and almost 90 per cent of exports.
I sometimes wish consumers would try the other wines; New Zealand also produces great riesling, chardonnay, pinot gris, pinot noir, syrah and more besides. However, I can also see the attraction. Classic Kiwi sauvignon is aromatic, fresh and fruity, generally lowish in alcohol and unoaked. It can be drunk solo or with a wide variety of foods, including fish, salads, herby Asian foods, goat’s cheese, as well as vegetable gratins.
I decided to put New Zealand sauvignon to the test. There is no shortage of very good wines over €20 but how would the less expensive wines fare? I assembled 19 wines, all selling for less than €15 for my tasting. I tasted wines from pretty much all of the multiples, and most of the bestselling wines.
Although I sought out New Zealand sauvignon in general, all bar one wine came from Marlborough, showing how dominant this area has become. Overall, the standard was consistently good; a few were a little sweet on the finish, and one seemed to be refermenting . Otherwise, most were light, refreshing, crisp, aromatic, dry wines. Below, I would also have liked to include a recent arrival, the Pure Island Sauvignon .
The least expensive was Aldi’s Freeman’s Bay , which sadly didn’t make my cut of four. A light white and a tasty sparkling wine from Aldi to mark the close of summerVilla Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc MarlboroughOne of our favourite Marlborough sauvignons. Reliable and consistent, it is made in an appealing style. Fresh, clean and crisp pear and blackcurrant fruits, with a lip-smacking dry finish.
Rohe Dillons Point Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2025Classic Marlborough sauvignon with notes of mouth-watering lemon peel and ripe pineapple fruits with a good length. One to buy before the price increases. A light white and a tasty sparkling wine from Aldi to mark the close of summerSinger-songwriter Cat Dowling dies aged 54An unreliable history of Robin Hood, from Errol Flynn to Andrew Garfield ‘Print is a great way of delivering powerful, direct messages. It’s more meaningful than looking at a screen’
New Zealand Wine Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough Wine Tasting Affordable Wine
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