By Subhash Arora
If you love Sauvignon Blanc, that too from New Zealand (where else but Marlborough !), and are travelling abroad, this one from the House of Nobilo, a well-respected, big-sized winery is highly recommended.
It is practically impossible to find a decent Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand for less than US$10. This month, though, you can buy this wine from Tesco for the equivalent of US$9 each. In the US, you can buy the wine from Sam's Liquor in Chicago or Spec's in Houston. Many stores carry it in California and the New York area for US$9-11.
Nobilo is a much-respected name in New Zealand producing wines for 60 years. It is now owned by Constellation Brands of the US - it's the biggest alcoholic beverages company in the world.
It's a typical Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand with intense aromas and citrus flavours and hint of peaches. It's very clean and vibrant on the palate with balanced acidity. Drink it young within a year of bottling to enjoy the flavours fully.
It may not be the world's best Sauvignon Blanc, but it is certainly a steal at US$9. And it goes very well with vegetarian dishes and Indian snacks like samosas and dhokla, or even munchies. Stuffed paranthas are its soul mates. How about trying it with an open cheese toast? Of course, it's a natural match for light seafood, white sauce-based pasta and the classical Margherita pizza and Quattro Stagioni. It is ideal also as an aperitif for Indian summers - you can't have just one glass of it.
When you run out of the half-case that you bring back from your foreign jaunt, you could continue enjoying it here. It is being imported by Sula and is available in Mumbai and Delhi, where you can buy it in the retail vends for Rs 1,210. Check out the shops at GK III, Vasant Vihar and Khan Market in Delhi or Shaw Bros. in Mumbai. Due to the price constraint, the vends may not stock the wine, but they can surely arrange it for you through Sula at short notice, if you insist.
Serve at 8-10 degrees C (preferably 8 degrees), which is the regular serving temperature for unoaked Sauvignon Blanc.
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