Blanc ambition
Our fourth dish sauvignon blanc tasting panel features a first-ever baker’s dozen of deliciousness. This year marks 51 years since Ross Spence (of Matua Wines) first had a crack at planting sauvignon blanc in New Zealand, and 41 years since Montana produced New Zealand’s first commercial Marlborough sauvignon blanc from its Brancott Valley vineyard. Back then, no one could have predicted that sauvignon blanc would one day comprise almost 74 per cent of our nation’s total wine production and almost 90 per cent of our total wine exported. No other country makes it like we do; it’s absolutely our global calling card in the world of wine – and if we were looking for a liquid national treasure, it would be the gum-tingling, lip-smackingly crisp, grassy, herbaceous, passion fruit-laden beverage we know as sauvignon blanc.
Our whopping 158 entries were dominated by wines from the excellent 2019 and
