New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc like no other wine divides opinion in the wine industry. The professionals in the trade look down on it, even describing it as full of ‘cats piss and gooseberry’, but there is no doubt about its popularity amongst consumers. So why is New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc so popular?
First, a quick history of the grape. Sauvignon Blanc’s historic home is the Loire Valley in France but in particular the regions of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé where it makes a fairly subdued wine with grapefruit and gooseberry aromas. Enter New Zealand but particularly Marlborough on the top of the South Island where a company called Brancott Estate planted Sauvignon Blanc in the 1970’s. From the early days it became obvious that Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough was a very different style of wine.
With pronounced Gooseberry and Passionfruit aromas but also a herbaceous smell often described as a cross between asparagus and green capsicum.
The French were aghast but consumers loved it as was an easy wine to enjoy. The smells were obvious and for many, quite pleasant, and there was an explosion of flavour. This combined with the refreshing nature of the wine, due to the high acid levels, made it a popular drink. It wasn’t expensive and could be drunk by itself or went very well with seafood…what’s not to like?
The New Zealanders also tweaked the formula to give consumers more of what they wanted. The grapes are grown to enhance the the fruit flavours but also the compounds called pyrazines that give the herbaceous green capsicum (bell pepper) aroma. They often have some residual sugar left behind to improve the mouth feel of the wine but this is masked by the high refreshing acid. Although Sauvignon Blanc is normally fermented and stored in stainless steel tanks to preserve the freshness and aromas there is a move towards ageing some Sauvignon Blanc in oak containers to give it more complexity. Another example of adjusting to consumer trends.
So in the 15 years from 2003 to 2018 the plantings of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc increased 5 fold as demand exploded. This was enhanced by come clever marketing by New Zealand Wine which promoted the product in conjunction with New Zealand’s clean green image and smart New Zealand inspired packaging. It is also promoted through international sporting events including the America’s Cup and partnerships like Air Zealand. When you are a country with only 5 million people you need every marketing angle.
I would love to hear if you love or hate New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and I’m happy to provide some free advice if you want some suggestions on different styles. I’ll be running wine education events once we are able to, so join our mailing list or like our Facebook page to be notified as soon as tickets are released.
Cheers,
Antony.
