Sauvignon Blanc

Their top seller is the Relishing Red NV, which is rapidly becoming a firm favourite, both with the braai community and those who enjoy an easy drinking and friendly red.

Voted a Best Value for Wine winner, the Relishing Red NV is made from a blend of Pinotage, Ruby Cab and Merlot and sells for around R26 a screw top bottle. The wine’s a bit sweet for my liking but improves with chilling – just the thing for a hot summer’s night around the braai fire.

Also check out Die Bartho, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Nouvelle, from Hermanuspietersfontein, which has won numerous local and international awards over the past three years. Winemaker Bartho Eksteen believes that because his vineyards’ production is getting better every year and still showing loads of development potential, he’s really only just begun his adventure with white wines.

Full Story: Wine: Excellent value for money - Dispatch Online

People living in the Awatere may well know Peter and Georgie Barnes, Kieran Hickman and his partner Michelle Cassidy.

We spoke to Peter before Christmas when excitement was running high over the release of these wines, which were born on the back of what seemed a good idea.

"We discussed the prospect of creating an all-local wine with a label reflecting its origins," he says. "The first goal was achieved by sourcing fruit for both varieties [sauvignon blanc and pinot gris] from good long-time Awatere family vineyards. From this point we spoke with a winemaker friend...who was keen to be a part of the project." With the wine being made, these people had to go through the steep learning curve of working with graphic designers, dealing with barcoding, trademarks, bottling, storage and marketing. The name The Watcher is dramatic, in keeping with the name's origins. Bringing the label to life began with a round of good old-fashioned fun – barbecue gatherings and the sharing of ideas.

Full Story: Increasingly creative labels vie for market share - Marlborough Express

Full Story: Riesling renaissance - Toronto Sun

The winery is currently releasing about 100,000 bottles annually in four series: varietal Grand Reserve and Reserve; blended wines in the Mostly series; and single-variety wines in the Just series. Also released are top-of-the-line Black Tulip and White Tulip blends. The winery continues to produce high quality wines many of which are an excellent value for the money.

Tulip, Black Tulip, 2006: A distinctly Bordeaux blend, this year of 60 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 percent Merlot, 13 percent Cabernet Franc and 7 percent Petit Verdot. Developed in barriques for 30 months, and at this stage of its development showing full-bodied, the tannins still gripping and the wood rather pronounced but with structure and balance that bode well for the future. On first attack, aromas and flavors of cigar box, blueberries and black pepper, those yielding to notes of currants and wild berries. Long, mouth-filling and complex. Approachable and enjoyable now but best starting in 2011 and then until 2014, perhaps longer. NIS 175. Score 91.

Tulip, Syrah, Reserve, 2007: Blended with 10 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and oak-aged for 16 months, dark and full-bodied, with spicy wood and softly gripping tannins in fine balance and integrating nicely with rich blackberry, wild berry and black cherry fruits. New World Syrah that almost gives you the feeling that you could eat it with a spoon. Sumptuous, deep and long. Drink now-2013. NIS 98. Score 91.

Full Story: Wine and Spirits / Tulips for your two lips - Ha'aretz

Sales soared in the second half of last year, with sauvignonblanc making up 30 per cent of all bottled white wine sales inAustralia, compared with chardonnay's 27 per cent.

The Kiwi dominance is set to be cemented this year, withconsumers to benefit from more discounting, fuelled by a grape glutacross the Tasman. Quality whites that once cost nearly $20 willsell for less than $10.

AC Nielsen data due out this week is expected to show that byvalue, sauvignon blanc sales soared above $300 million, pippingchardonnay. Retail sales figures reveal that 23.5 million litres ofsauvignon blanc and sauvignon blanc mixes were sold to Septemberlast year, compared with chardonnay's 22.5 million.

Full Story: Chardonnay kicks the bouquet - Brisbane Times