Last summer when the Firehouse Wine Bar was just a twinkle in our eye (or more realistically, the sawdust in our eye) we published a piece on some of our favorite sauvignon blancs. This summer, we thought we’d do an update featuring some of our customer favorites.
Sticking with our Southern Hemisphere theme, we’ll kick off with the Kiwis who know how to do a sauvignon blanc justice, especially those from the Marlborough, New Zealand region. Ranging from $13-$21 a bottle, all of these summer savs offer great flavor at great prices
- Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc – The darling of critics as well as downtown Mobile, this has been our best-selling white wine this summer… and for good reason. Blending melon and tropical fruits with the classic Marlborough citrus zest, lemongrass and minerality, Greywacke manages to be both potent and delicate – a delight from start to finish.
- Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc – Another classic and highly ranked sav from one of Marlborough’s best known family-owned wine companies, Spy Valley balances lush tropical fruits with herbs and grapefruit to create a delicate and refreshing crisp white.
- Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc – If you like your New Zealand savs so citrusy they spit in your eye, look no further. This more full-bodied white offers up the herbs and green pepper of a great summer salad with a perfect citrus garnish that leaves you puckering your mouth (and begging) for more!
- New Harbour Sauvignon Blanc – A consistently good sav that exhibits all the famous Marlborough qualities (fruit, herbs, grass, grapefruit) at a can’t-be-beat price.
And representing for South Africa, we have three classic sauvignon blancs that offer great value at a great price point (all $13 or less!). Falling somewhere between the herby pungency of a French sancerre/sav and the grapefruit knock-out punch of New Zealand, South African savs tend to be a little drier, more delicate, and have more minerality, letting the fruit and zest of the grape speak for itself. If you like a good porch pounder for summer that refreshes, tastes great, and leaves you wanting more, look no further!
- Neil Ellis Sincerely Sauvignon Blanc – From one of the pioneers of modern South African winemaking, Ellis is famous for producing great wines at great prices. His Sincerely sav balances green fruits and veggies with a light acidity.
- Arabella Sauvignon Blanc – A light, bright white, Arabella captures both the sweet and tanginess of local gooseberries to create a balanced refreshing sav with a clean finish.
- Douglas Green Sauvignon Blanc – Meet the Mondavi of South Africa. Douglas Green has been producing consistently high-quality, affordable wines for more than 70 years and his latest sauvignon blanc is no departure. Another wine that plays off local flavors of the local granadilla fruit (a South African citrus fruit that is both sweet and tangy) this light crisp white is refreshing from start to finish.