Frontline Wine:The Fruit Bomb Is Ticking

The first time I tasted a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, I could barely believe that a grape variety could pack such an intense array of tropical fruits into each mouthful. I remember my tongue, classically trained on the great Sauvignons of the Loire Valley, bopping like an epileptic sea-anemone from flavour overload, whilst my left eye flapped uncontrollably in the wind as my face muscles locked in surprise at what had just been swallowed. It was a revelation; fresh, clean and powerful, a wine so delicious that no drinker could turn their nose up at it. I was immediately hooked, even if my face looked like a slapped arse for a whole summer. I didn’t care. I had found a wine that never disappointed.

Wind the clock on a few years to present day and I regret to say that my attitude to Sauvignon Blanc produced in this country has become similar to my attitude to its bush tucker; it’s there in abundance, but I’m not prepared to go out of my way to get it. Curiosity drives me to spend the majority of my wages on new and interesting wines, but I’m sorry to admit that that curiosity doesn’t exist when I’m standing in front of the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc section in my local wine shop. With up and coming blockbusters lurking nearby such as fresh Nelson Chardonnay or steely Central Otago Pinot Gris to get my hand quivering uncontrollably over my moth-ridden wallet, Sauvignon Blanc leaves me yawning at the thought of drinking it. It isn’t a question of quality so much as the predictability of it.

With production of Sauvignon Blanc rising, quality levels will inevitably begin to fall. This is concerning because I only need to slur the word ‘Liebfraumilch’ for you to realise how damaging a boring wine produced in bulk can be to a country’s industry as a whole. Germany produces the best Riesling in the world, but I don’t see people rushing out to buy it. Usually, it’s due to the bottle of Blue Nun swilled from the bottle at your best friends sixteenth birthday party, when you become forever sickened of the taste by throwing it up all over the taxi on the way home. The current producers should beware that it may be one little sniff of cut grass or asparagus that has future generations running for the toilet. Isn’t it fascinating to realise that the very grape variety that made the New Zealand wine industry the success it is today, potentially has the power to ruin its reputation? With new white varieties like the Italian Arneis and Spain’s Albarino breaking through in this country, the emphasis on Sauvignon will soon be lifted and hopefully, the New Zealand wine industry will become renowned for its eclectic mix of varieties rather than for one predictable variety.

Cooper’s Creek “The Little Rascal” Arneis 2006 $25

Arneis, up until the 1970’s, was grown beside the red grapes in Alba, Italy for the sole reason of attracting pests. After you taste it, you will honestly wonder why. Expect a fresh palate laden with pear, sour-apple and rock melon balanced on a steely, minerally knife’s edge of acidity. This is Drysville, Tennessee, but has a refreshing mouth watering acidity to keep the saliva churning.

Renato Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2006 Nelson $23

To include a beautifully made sauvignon to show I’m not completely bitter and twisted, I recommend you try this Sauvignon Blanc from Swiss-owned Renato Estate. An intense nose of passionfruit and pineapple, leads to a weighty, rounded style of Sauvignon that displays intense, yet restrained tropical fruit notes. A mouth-watering citrus splash is followed by a long, delicate finish that carries the fruit character through until you brush your teeth that night.

Feedback to paulbrannigan03 @ hotmail.com

© Scoop Media