Marlbrough, across all varieties, have produced in the region of 126m less bottles of wine than average

As we long for customers to sit in our restaurants, pubs & bars with their favourite glass of plonk, it is sometimes easy to forget that wine is a natural product. Farmers are out there in fields submitting their lives to the fickle will of nature to bring us the best wines they can. Sometimes nature reminds us of just how fragile everything is. Last year New Zealand, & more specifically Marlborough, saw a very early bud break followed by a brutal set of spring frosts & then near-drought conditions during the summer.

Rainfall was 31% of usual December to March totals. This has resulted in a 30-40% drop in yields compared to expected. To put this into some kind of number: it means that the region as a whole, across all varieties, have produced somewhere in the region of 126 million fewer bottles of wine than average. What was left, however, was of outstanding quality, we are delighted to say!

Well, the likelihood is that Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is going to be in very short supply this year, & what there is will see a pretty huge price rise.

So with the nations favourite Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc in short supply, what else might step up to the plate & become the volume choice for the consumer? Well, there are happily plenty of options that have been overlooked for the decade or so that NZ Sauvignon has been at the top.

South Africa has been making world-class Sauvignon Blancs for years, & the quality has only got better over the last few years. The cool climate vineyards of Elgin tend to produce Sauvignons showing crisp green apple, gooseberry & tropical notes, to the warmer climates of Stellenbosch & Paarl, which produce rich & full-bodied sauvignons, you really can get any style you like. For my money, the best are from Elgin. Imagine Elgin like an elevated bowl between 400 & 600m altitude. It is by far & away from South Africa’s coolest region, with harvest taking place 6-8 weeks after the warmer low lying regions. The resulting wines are thrilling, elegant, & delightful!

Chile also makes world-class Sauvignon Blanc. Their style tends to have a little less tropical fruit & more grassy notes with hints of white stone fruit & distinct floral tones. Look out for wines from the Casablanca Valley, but the reality is that most Chilean Sauvignons are just as insanely drinkable as New Zealand.

One should never overlook France! Of course, the Loire Valley is the ancestral home of Sauvignon Blanc, & the wines are by no means as austere & minerally as they used to be. Regions like Touraine, Menetou Salon, & the world-famous Sancerre & Pouilly Fumé, which has its characteristic gunflint aroma, offer the Sauvignon Blanc lover those flavours that we love so much. So Marlborough Sauvignon will be short this year, but don’t despair as there is a whole world of Sauvignon out there awaiting your taste buds! Here are a few picks from the portfolio that will most certainly fit the bill

ESPINOS Y CARDOS, CENTRAL VALLEY, CHILE

ELGIN, SOUTH AFRICA

This lively little single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc is bursting with vibrant, zesty citrus fruit & a hint of exotic guava. Hugely refreshing, this crisp & aromatic wine is endlessly quaffable. Soft, super-juicy, ripe fruit & a long full-flavoured finish “There are happily plenty of options that have been overlooked for the decade or so that NZ Sauvignon has been at the top”

LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE

Pale gold in colour, the wine opens with bright aromatic notes of exotic fruit & citrus, with subtle hints of minerality & orange blossom. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied & balanced with a bright, crisp finish Floral & complex medley of tropical fruits with lime & gooseberry. The palate is balanced & rich, with green apples & great minerality & texture. Sophie te’Blanche is a nickname given by those inc the vineyard workers, who can’t pronounce Sauvignon Blanc.

LOIRE VALLEY, FRANCE

Attractively aromatic, rich dry Sauvignon showing the fruit character of fully ripe grapes. Exotic fruits in abundance on the nose & just a hint of mint. On the pallet, it’s fresh & tangy, & the finish is fruity & moreish.