New Zealand Wine Tasting Party in California

Tasting New Zealand: Grass or no?

OK, so the premise here is that if I can buy this New Zealand wine in my small mountain hometown of Flagstaff, AZ, YOU will certainly be able to find it somewhere near you. I purchased a bottle of Matua Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc at my local Safeway last week for $8.81 (regularly $13.99.)

I brought the bottle with me to Carlsbad, California this weekend. "What? You're bringing wine WITH you to California?" exclaimed my hubby, Dan. "We're driving right through Temecula!"

"I'll get a bottle of red at Hart Winery when we drive through Temecula wine country. But I'd really like to find out if the others we are meeting in California can taste the "grass" in this New Zealand wine. I can taste the "herbaceous" flavors, but can't taste "cut grass." A bartender at Cuvee' 928 Wine Bar and Cafe' where we had a Flagstaff TweetUp last Wednesday night said, "Oh, yeah! You'll taste the cut grass. That's what it tastes like: cut grass. I don't know if he was BS-ing me or not, because I still could not taste cut grass in the glass of NZ Stoneleigh that he served me.

So I was really hopeful that this Matua Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010 that I was bringing to California would deliver the mowed experience. There were only three wine drinkers at the gorgeous vacation townhome we rented very near the Carlsbad beach. I proudly poured the Matua. "That is very good!" said Rolf, a red wine drinker.

"I like it, too!" said Brandy. "I think I taste herbs on the back of my tonung. It might be grass."

"The New Zealand Sauvignons really have a long finish - the taste is great all the way back to the back of the tonung. But does it taste like grass? Cut grass?" I plead disappointedly. I am excited that I taste a hint of green pepper and crisp apples...well, maybe pear. Oh, I don't know maybe it is the passionfruit touted on the label. I think we need our wine aroma guide.

The vintners, Bill and Ross Spence, were the first to plant Sauvignon Blanc grapes in New Zealand, and so began the legacy of the best terrior for Sauvignon Blanc wines in the world. But the vote was in: 3 to 3, no cut grass in the Matua Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Herbs and fruit: yes!

Enjoy this article?  Get this article and others posted to your Google Reader when new wine stories are available. Just pull down “Subscribe to” above. Or leave your comments below.

Stacey Wittig is an Arizona travel writer who writes about food and wine and blogs at True Vine Wine Blog.

Tweet