Ep 235: The Rebirth of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with Simone Madden-Grey

Simone Madden-Grey, the Happy Wine Woman, is our guest host this week on a great topic!  New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has become either a staple or a joke (it's often called Mrs. Supermarket wine or Soccer Mom wine). But there is more to this category than just Marlborough's mass brands. It's time to take another look & get excited about this multifaceted wine that New Zealand does better than nearly any country.    Here are the show notes:  New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc: the stats:  72% of New Zealand’s production 86% of NZ wine exported   Where do the stereo types come from -- we debunk the myths:   Myth 1: It is only an entry to wine product New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc put New Zealand on the map as a serious wine producing nation with its accessible and highly drinkable style. BUT there are myriad styles  with the full gamut of white wine flavours available - and you can find one you love! Myth 2: Cheap and accessible wine is poor quality wine New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has done an excellent job of providing a consistent quality product at a reasonable price, successfully challenging the traditional notion that good wine must be expensive.  Myth 3: It is one dimensional, a “Soccer Mom” or “Mrs Supermarket” wine Yes, it's a highly drinkable summer wine, but there are many different options within the category. Producers are experimenting with the use of oak and lees contact to add complexity and texture demonstrating a greater variety of occasions and food pairings it works well with.  Myth 4: It is too herbaceous Regions such as Martinborough in the Wairarapa, Hawkes Bay, Nelson and North Canterbury and the warmer sub-regions of Marlborough all make very distinctive wines that are totally different from one another   Style notes on the wines:  Rule of thumb: Cooler climates make brisker styles Warm climate notes: Melon, nectarine, tropical fruit (guava) sweet lemon. Lower acidity. Can be softer or flabby. North Island: Hawkes Bay: grows on cooler sites at altitude. Richer, fuller styles with peach notes and good acidity, but a bigger body Wairarapa: Can be cooler but still have abundant sun Martinborough: very herbal, acidic SB Masterton: Complex wines, more of a mix of herbs and soft fruit   South Island: Marlborough– 2/3 of all vines in NZ are here Action in Marlborough will be in the sub-regions going forward  Southern Valleys – Omaka, Fairhall, Brancott, Ben Morvan, Waihopai Valleys – can make heavier styles of SB Wairau –  intensity and a bigger body Awatere – south of Wairau. Lower yields and more minerally, acidic profiles. Not full bodied.  Nelson: A more elegant, restrained expression with minerality alongside tropical fruit and herbs Canterbury: Alpine areas – crisp, acidic, minerally styles but some are heavier Central Otago: purity of flavor. Mineral, gunflint, herbaceous, crisp, refreshing, stony     Thank you to our sponsors this week: YOU! The podcast supporters on Patreon, who are helping us to make the podcast possible and who we give goodies in return for their help!Check it out today: https://www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople     Vivino You can use the Vivino app to scan and keep track of wines NOW -- Shop through their web store, which has great prices and a huge inventory! It can give you suggestions based on bottles you’ve liked in the past.  Use their premium service to get 30 days free shipping Visit www.Vivino.com/WineForNormalPeople to stock up    HelloFresh! A meal kit delivery service that shops, plans and delivers your favorite step-by-step recipes and pre-measured ingredients so you can just cook, eat and enjoy! Delivered right to your door, with a variety of chef-curated recipes that change weekly, this is a new way to eat and cook! We love it!  For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit www.hellofresh.com/wine30 and enter WINE30. You won't regret it!    The Great Courses Plus  Who doesn't want to learn!? The Great Courses Plus makes you smarter and more well rounded. With thousands of outstanding video lectures that you can watch or listen to any time and anywhere, The Great Courses Plus is an easy way to stimulate your brain and make you smarter! Learn Spanish like me! For a free trial, support the show and go to my special URL www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/wine        Get the back catalog on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.