“Sauvignon blanc is the grape that put New Zealand on the wine map,” said Pamela Busch in SFExaminer.com. As it celebrates its 40th year there, the grape now accounts for better than half of all of the nation’s vineyard space. The best bottlings have much going for them beyond the wine’s notorious “herbaceousness.” Some fine choices can still be found even in the $15 range.
2012 Yealands ($15). You’ll note “loads of gooseberry” in this single-vineyard bottling, but grapefruit, too, and “an underlying minerality.”
2011 Man O’ War ($16). Sauvignon blanc blends with 15 percent sémillon to produce “a deliciously complete wine with pleasant coffee bean and grapefruit aromas.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
2011 Mount Beautiful ($16). “Fragrant with guava, passion fruit, and grapefruit,” this luscious North Canterbury wine also has a “bright, lively acidity.”
-
5 thin-skinned cartoons about shooting the messengerCartoons Artists take on unfavorable weather, a look in the mirror, and more
-
Is Trump's new peacemaking model working in DR Congo?Talking Point Truce brokered by the US president in June is holding, but foundations of a long-term peace have let to be laid
-
Crossword: August 10, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
