so-vee-yohng blawnk

recently, (well not so recently, mostly at any given time) my husband and i have been in search of the best, affordably priced new zealand sauvignon blanc.  yah, its winter and most people prefer to drink sauvignon blancs during the summer.  well, the heck with them, i like to enjoy it year-round.  why sauvignon blanc, and why new zealand in particular?  new zealand is the producer of the most dry, crisp and clean tasting sauvignon blancs.  in fact, sauvignon blanc is what put new zealand on the winemaking map.  california sauvignon blancs just don't do it for me.  sorry.  why not chardonnay? (considering i do live in california, and the californians make some of the best chardonnays around the world AND chardonnay is THE MOST popular wine in the US) personally, i don't like the buttery, creamy, and oaky flavors that most chardonnays have. 

first up, kim crawford.  if i had to choose a sauvignon blanc to drink every day, this would be it.  very well balanced, crisp and citrusy.  my husband would even say "grassy" or "herbaceous"  but my palate is not as well-trained at his.  passionfruit. melon. great with light fare, salads, fish and even better alone.  so why don't we drink this everyday?  well we did, for about a month or so.  found a great deal ($10.49) at costco and bought a case (maybe it was two).  but, after a while, even my favorite wine got, dare i say it, boring.  and costco no longer had it on sale, and we are not about to spend the regular $14.99 -$17.99 everyday.  that would put us around $150 a week just for this wine.  pass.  so that's why we have been on this search.  to switch it up a bit and save a little money.

note: current vintage is 2010.  we enjoyed it, but preferred the 2009 and i think you can snatch a few up while they are still around.

next, cloudy bay.  why am i even mentioning this?  (retails between $25.99 and $32.99, definitely not in the afordably priced everyday wine category)  i felt like mentioning this because when my husband and i were in new zealand, this is what we drank.  and yes, you can get it here, but the fact that while in new zealand, this is the sauvignon blanc that most restaurants and wine shops recommend, is interesting.  maybe because it is very popular and well-liked.  again, very well balanced.  reviews of the current vintage (2010) boast flavors of gooseberries (what the heck is a gooseberry?  i will have to ask my husband when he gets home), guava, mango, ripe lime and sweet herbs.  i haven't had the current vintage, so maybe a splurge is in order.

 

king shag - $7.99 from trader joe's.  love the name, and its actually named after a new zealand seabird and not an austin powers impersonator.  this is a bargain priced wine, but has flavors that rival its more pricey competitors.  first off, it smells great. or as the winey snobs would say "it has a gorgeous nose."  my husband says he can smell star fruit and kiwi fruit.  again, i don't have as well-trained of a sniffer, and i just smell crisp deliciousness.  light bodied, but nicely acidic and citrusy.  i have grown to love the acidity of a good new zealand sauvignon blanc.  this has become our go-to  white wine.

pebble bay - $5.99 from fresh & easy.  i have been asking my husband to pick up a bottle of this for quite some time.  the other night, he finally did and was shocked by how good it was.  we have a fresh & easy right by our house and have been reluctant to try their wines.  but for $5.99, even if was terrible, you can't go wrong.  surprisingly impressive.  because i couldn't find a great professional shot of this wine, i took a quick one on my cell phone (my boss would be very disappointed in the quality, haha, oh well).  the nose has a zing of lemon and the flavor tart like a granny smith apple.  i noticed that it was a little less crisp than i prefer, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it.  this may become our newest go-to white wine, and fresh & easy is MUCH closer to the house.  

and finally, one hope - $18.99 one hope wine.  i have yet to try this, but i want to give it a shot.  pictured is the 2008 vintage, but they also offer 2009.  when you purchase this wine, $3.00 is donated to saving the planet, and $1.90 goes to charity of your choosing (from their selected charities).  so, for the price, even if the wine isn't great, you don't feel like you've thrown all of your money away.  this sauvignon blanc is from california (i know, i know...) and described as having aromas of fresh honeydew and cirtus fruits.  it's a medium-bodied crisp wine with a smooth finish.  the reviews seem to be pretty good, so i am going to pick up a bottle and i will let you know what i think.  

note:  i have also seen it at vons, and bevmo and i believe they sell it for around $14.99.  enjoy!