New Zealand
Brancott Marlboro
Sauvignon Blanc
$10.99
Brancott and its parent company, Montana, have been making sauvignon blanc in New Zealand’s largest wine region since 1979. They seem to have the recipe down. Some of the best sauvignon blancs in the world are produced in New Zealand; at $10.99, this is a very high quality wine for the money.
This wine that is a little less up front with grapefruit and other citrus flavors than other less expensive sauvignon blancs from the country. Earlier, I recommended Monkey Bay’s sauvignon blanc, which has a very strong grapefruit flavor. Bancott tones it down a bit. I had the wine with grilled tuna with a lemon beurre blanc sauce. It was great.
Monkey Bay
Sauvignon Blanc
$8.99
Finding a good sauvignon blanc from New Zealand that’s under $10 could be a daunting task, but look no further than Monkey Bay, which I found at New Hampshire Liquor Store. There are a lot of very fine New Zealand sauvignon blancs from $10 to $20, but Monkey Bay was the only one I have found under $10.
The label features a cute animal, often a pretty sure sign of a bad wine. It’s always nice to be surprised when you don’t expect much. Not only is Monkey Bay $8.99, but it also is much better than the silly monkey on the label would suggest. This very good wine has a taste that lets you know right up front where it stands. And though the wine is loaded with complex levels of flavor, there’s not much subtlety about the first sip. If you like grapefruit juice, this dry and crisp wine is for you, and it’s an excellent choice for sipping on a warm spring evening.
Makers of Monkey Bay sauvignon blanc say the wine can be stored for a couple of years in a cool dark place, but they also say the wine can be cellared for about 15 minutes for the same results. It’s ready to drink now. On a warm night, it’s hard to beat a cold glass of this refreshing wine. I recently had it with a mild cheese and crackers, but it also would be good with grilled fish, baked chicken or salad.
There are some boutique wineries in New Zealand, particularly on the North Island, but most of the wineries in the country are controlled by multi-national conglomerates, and Monkey Bay is no exception. The company is owned by Constellation Brands, the world’s largest winemaker by volume. Constellation produces a lot of wine under the Monkey Bay label, which also has a nice Chardonnay and a rosÐ. However, the high production doesn’t mean that the quality is lacking. The wine is well crafted and full of flavor, and it’s a great bargain.
I recommend all three Monkey Bay wines, but I really like the clean, citrus flavor of the sauvignon blanc.