Oyster Bay

Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Marlborough, New Zealand
$14.79 Superstore

I took this wine to my friend Cheryl's house when they invited us for dinner a few weeks back.  My friend has her wine that she prefers to drink, so I was hoping to get her out of that box for an evening at least!  She was a good sport, but went back to her "regular" after only a small glass.  No matter, I enjoyed this wine, and if you happened to read the blog about Kim Crawford, I probably enjoyed this one better; it's high up with with Sean Minor, and the value is good too!  Another Sauvignon Blanc that is light and refreshing.  I guess you could say that when summer rolls around, I won't have to think about which wines to serve...I'll already have a vast inventory of wines that I know are excellent, and not terribly expensive!  A typical Sauvignon Blanc with the beautiful scents of mangoes, grass, pineapple and kiwi.  A slight effervescence on my tongue with bursts of tropical fruits and a hint of lemon zest.  So what do I mean by effervescence?  This wine is not sparkling, yet it gives that slight tingling flavour on my tongue.  For me, it gives the wine a little more character!

I'm starting to read Kevin Zraly's Complete Wine Course - 2012 Edition and he has a listing of Best Value Wines for $30 and under.  This one was in the New Zealand list, so I felt good about this choice, and most people seem to know of this wine, so you've probably already tasted it!  What do you think?