Perfect on its own or with food. Sauvignon Blanc is excellent with seafood and white meats such as fish, mussels, lobster, chicken and turkey. The crisp acidity balances perfectly with the natural oils present in the seafood. The herbaceous characters of Sauvignon Blanc match perfectly with food using green herbs rush as rosemary, basil and parsley to name a few.

Owned by Hunter’s Vineyard, but operated separately, the vineyard here is in an old riverbed whose stones retain warmth and give the fruit a high degree of ripeness. The Sauvignon and the Pinot both benefit from this microclimate and deliver great expression of flavour at a very modest price. Founded in 1983 by Jane Hunter and her late husband Ernie, Hunter’s is deservedly considered amongst the top half dozen estates in the region. From a family of South Australian grape growers and a trained viticulturist herself, Jane has been at the helm for 25 years and has long been a passionate spokesman for Marlborough wine. Her years of service to the industry have been acknowledged with an OBE and a CNZM. The winemaker here is Gary Duke and Dr Tony Jordan, the legendary Australian winemaker, acts as a consultant.

Located at the top of New Zealand’s South Island, Marlborough makes up more than 75% of the New Zealand wine production. Sauvignon Blanc accounts for 77% of Marlborough’s wine production alone, with Pinot Noir second. Marlborough’s micro climate is particularly suited to Sauvignon Blanc with long warm days and cool nights. In fact Marlborough often receives the most sunshine hours in New Zealand and can average 30+0C in the summer months. Marlborough is made up of five sub-regional valleys, each with their own micro-climates and varying soil types, making for interesting blending of wines and styles.