This classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is on special at Costco. It would be a super good value at its usual price of $8.99, but after the store discount the price nets to $6.99 – a steal. If you like Sauv Blancs from Marlborough (for example, Kim Crawford, Oyster Bay, Villa Maria, etc.) don’t think twice about grabbing multiple bottles of this wine.
Fast facts:
- 2018 Mud House Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand ($6.99 @Costco; California – Product #13929)
Our “Fast Friday” wine reviews are intended to squeeze out one more hot pick before you head out and shop on the weekend. We don’t do them every week, just on those Fridays when we have something good. If you love Sauvignon Blanc today is your lucky day.
Sauvignon Blanc has become synonymous with New Zealand, a small, two-island nation with a population of 4.7 million. (That’s less than 1.5 percent of America’s.) New Zealand’s wine output counts for little over one percent of the world’s total, and yet it turned a scarcely known, little-loved grape into a global powerhouse. According to the New Zealand Winegrowers 2018 Annual Report, Sauvignon Blanc accounts for more than 60 percent of the country’s planted vines, and 77 percent of its white grape plantings.
Marlborough, the largest winemaking region, is located on the tip of New Zealand’s South Island and covers more than 64 thousand acres. Marlborough’s low seasonal rainfall, high sunlight exposure, and high diurnal temperature range provide ideal conditions for growing Sauvignon Blanc.
Winemaker Notes:
From the back label: “beautifully aromatic notes of snow peas and guava provide the perfect introduction to a palate of melon, citrus and grapefruit flavors. Mouthwatering ripe acidity provides a wine of great balance and harmony.” Unlike many tasting notes found on back labels, these have the benefit of being accurate!
This wine pairs exceptionally well with chicken, fish, shellfish and salads. It is sublime with oysters on the half shell. It is best enjoyed very cold, when the weather is very hot.
And if you seem to recall that we recently reviewed two Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs from Trader Joe’s, you’re correct.
Cheers.