A shocking headline in the Daily Telegraph grabbed my attention recently “Wine shortage: New Zealand sauvignon blanc set to disappear from shelves in run-up to Christmas”. Ok, so it’s not really ‘shocking’ but for those of you, who like me, enjoy a nice cold glass of Kiwi Savvy, it is shall we say, slightly concerning!
What it essentially means, is the mass produced glut of sauvignon juice which goes into many of the Supermarket ‘own’ brands just won’t be available…so actually as far as I am concerned that is quite good news, because those of you prepared to pay a bit more for quality, will find that the 2021 vintage promises to be spectacularly good, albeit with not a huge amount to go around, with many merchants only selling on limited allocation.
Rest assured, at time of writing it I will be able to secure some 2021 wine and there is still stock of earlier vintages – personally I like a couple of years on my Sauvignon, it develops a really interesting flavour profile.
But in case of shortage, it is well worth having a look at a few other destinations if you are unable to quench your thirst, namely: South Africa and Chile.
South Africa in particular is a great place to look. The cooler coastal district of Walker Bay, Elgin in the Western Cape region as well as the mountainous Cederberg ward are well worth exploring more. I tasted a terrific wine from Cederberg recently which reminded me so much of New Zealand Sauvignon – punchy, pungent and zesty and it won’t break the bank either. I think I will slot it into my next case I thought it was that good!
Again, when it comes to Chile – the best places to look are the coastal regions around Elqui Valley and Limari as well as the Aconcagua Valley. The cool coastal locations ensuring ideal conditions for Sauvignon Blanc – producing wines with high acidity and plenty of aromatic fruit. Mostly fermented at cool temperatures in steel tanks, the wines are fresh, intensely flavoured and very moreish. As with South Africa there can be some really good quality wines found in Chile in the £9-£14 price range.
So, fear not, you will still be able to get your hands on some great Sauvignon Blanc for Christmas, it just may not come from the Supermarkets!