New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Alternatives

30 November 2021 - Justin Sims

Can’t Get NZ Sauvignon? Why Not Try These Great Alternatives

It’s no secret that there’s a global shortage of Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough NZ and it’s unlikely to resolve itself in the near future. The reasons for this are varied but primarily centre on a severely reduced harvest in 2020, down 25-30%, due to widespread frost damage.

What are the options, given consumers’ unwavering demand?

Non-New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs

The obvious place to start is the same grape variety, different sources. Stylistically, other New World producers like Chile and South Africa will offer the type of flavour profiles closest to Marlborough.

Did you know Chile has the third-largest vineyard area devoted to Sauvignon Blanc in the world, after France and New Zealand, with more vines going in. There’s been a greater focus in more recent years on cooler climatic zones like Casablanca, Leyda and San Antonio.

Casablanca along with the more central Curicó Valley are the two sources for Espinos Y Cardos’ Los Espinos Reserve Sauvignon Blanc. Casablanca gives freshness and minerality while Curicó gives textural weight and exotic fruit hints and with only free-run juice ending up in the final wine, this is surprisingly good value.

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Another like for like varietal from the new world is Moloko Bay Sauvignon Blanc. This Southern Hemisphere Sauvignon Blanc offers a fresh, zesty palate with tropical fruit and green apple. Lemon and lime tease the palate into a crisp refreshing finish with long-lasting fruit. South Africa has been considered by many to be best placed to replicate the style consumers have been demanding. Now, we’re not replacing our Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs, because they will always be a consumer favourite, but we needed to find something to help our customers satisfy their own customers. We’re excited to launch our first South African Sauvignon Blanc. 

Closer to home...

The other obvious places to look for Sauvignon Blanc are France, the grape’s spiritual home, and northeast Italy. France’s Loire Valley is arguably home to the best, premium expressions of single varietal Sauvignon’s with Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé leading the way ahead of Menetou-Salon, Quincy and Reuilly.

There’s also great value to be found in the central Loire appellation of Touraine. These tend to be slightly more floral and less austere than Sancerre and Pouilly yet still retain that characteristic juicy acidity making them versatile food wines. Domaine du Pré Baron make a lovely riper style from their 25-year-old vines.

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North-east Italy is home to many of the country’s finest white wines, especially around the famous town of Soave and in the far northeast appellation of Collio in Friuli. Head south of Vicenza to the Berici Hills, and you can find some excellent Sauvignon Blanc with lovely fruit definition and a herbaceous tang that will impress any kiwi Sauvignon drinker. Casa Defra’s Tre Venezie Sauvignon Blanc is a case in point and, again, punches well above its weight.

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Sauvignon Blanc lookalikes

Two of the most encouraging wine trends to come out of the pandemic was consumers’ willingness to try and experiment with brand new wines and varieties and also a desire to trade up and spend more per bottle, further fuelling the premiumisation trend that has been emerging over the past couple of years.

It may come as no surprise that many of the Sauvignon Blanc ‘lookalikes’ such as Grüner Veltliner, English Bacchus, Albariño and Italy’s Pecorino, to name a few, have increased their reach and are featuring on more and more on-trade wine lists.

Let’s take a closer look at some of these and why they offer a credible alternative to Marlborough.

Albariño is a native grape variety to Galicia in northwest Spain. A region famed for its shellfish and water sports as much as for its rugged green coastline, it’s also home to Spain’s premium dry white wines with Albariño leading the pack. Characterised by bracing saline acidity wrapped up in juicy peach, apricot and citrus notes, it’s as if these cool climate wines were literally born out of the sea! Like Marlborough Sauvignon, these naturally carry a premium price-point and Lagar de Bouza’s Albariño represents real value as five local vineyard owners have pooled their resources to work together as a small co-operative.

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Bacchus was first created in the 1930s by a German viticulturist who combined a Riesling-Silvaner cross with Müller-Thurgau. The cooler English climate suits this early-ripening variety and its marked acidity and herbaceous profile have drawn many parallels with Sauvignon Blanc. What it perhaps lacks in pungency versus Sauvignon is more than compensated by an attractive English hedgerow florality. Producers like Hidden Spring in Sussex are making fine examples of such a wine.

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And there is more...

It took a good couple of decades of quiet persistence and patience on behalf of Austrian producers from the early 1990s, so that today Grüner Veltliner, Austria’s signature white grape, can be found on any decent wine bar or restaurant list throughout the world. The typical flavour profile for ‘GrüVe’ reflects green fruits and vegetables like apple, lime, green pepper, celery and watercress as well as herbs like dill, sage and tarragon. In almost every case you’ll find juicy acidity and you can also detect a distinctive white peppery note that gives a spicy finish. Sepp Moser’s biodynamic Grüner from the famous Kremstal district of northern Austria skilfully demonstrates these traits.

In addition to sharing the same name as a sheep’s cheese, Italy’s Pecorino grape actually has no known link, other than a vague association with sheep (pecora in Italian), as they were believed to have grazed amongst and on the vines in Marche’s mountains where this vine originated. This ancient variety spread into neighbouring Abruzzo and is today established in several key provinces, including Chieti. Whilst the fruit palette swings more towards exotic varieties, the minerality and pronounced acidity will appeal to Sauvignon drinkers. Both Vinicola Tombacco and Feudo Antico produce excellent examples from Chieti, the latter being certified organic.

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Other wines to look out for are Furmint (native Hungarian variety), Godello (another Galician variety but lighter than Albariño), Picpoul de Pinet (ancient southern French variety), Pinela (native Slovenian grape), Verdejo (native to Rueda in northern central Spain) and Vinho Verde (native appellation of northern Portugal).

So while kiwi Sauvignon navigates its way through its ‘perfect storm’, maybe it’s time to allow consumers the chance to experiment with new varieties while the inclination is there. Make sure your staff are aware of these useful alternatives so they can make good recommendations.