Marlborough’s Mixed Bag
Just in case you thought there was nothing more to New Zealand wine than Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, and to be honest you might be forgiven for being thus misinformed, here’s a few impressive white Marlborough alternatives which Waitrose will stocking in the coming months.
Hunky Dory The Tangle 2013 £11.99
A tri0 of 45% Pinot Gris, 45% Gewürztraminer and 10% Riesling make up the blend with the Gewürz being the most showy. With its spicy, lychee and lemongrass flavours The Tangle is a perfect match for Thai food.
Astrolabe Province Pinot Gris 2013 £17.99
Now you see, this is what Pinot Gris should taste like. Bland, usually Italian, Pinot Grigios do so give this grape a bad name. This one is all pear and stone fruit, delicate flavours but with a mouth-filling texture such that it would work equally well with fish and white meats.
Stanley Estates Albariño 2013 £16.99
Along with grapefruit and an herby aroma, I could not get the smell of Moules Marinères out of my head when I tasted this so guess what I will be serving with it! There is definitely a saline mineral edge to its freshness. It’s zesty and really tasty.
And of course the Sauvignons should still get a mention because we do so love ’em too. For textbook Sauvignon go for Astrolabe Awatere Sauvignon 2013 £16.99 and for something more easy-drinking and crowd-pleasing The Doctor’s Sauvignon 2013 from Forrest Estate at £8.99 is an unusually off-dry style which will go down well for day-time drinking in the sun.
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