I have people asking me about New Zealand Sauv Blancs all the time. Salesmen used to bring me about 7 or 10 a week–you’d think that I’ve tried them all at this point, surely. But now, I really must tell you…they don’t taste that different from each other. What!? let me explain.

Take tomato sauce, for example. A jar of plain tomato sauce conjurs an expectation that will be reasonably fulfilled by any jar of tomato sauce, right? The further analysis of the quality of that tomato sauce is determined by personal preference and the little differences–one’s a bit more acidic, one’s from slightly riper tomatoes, one’s got no salt.

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is very similar. They just don’t let the bad stuff out of the country. So it’s all about the little differences–more herbaceous, more grapefruit-y, less cat pee, etc. Cloudy Bay is almost twice as expensive as Tohu, Lawson’s, or Allan Scott; but it is NOT twice as good as these wines; it’s just a matter of preference (, and marketing).

As a matter of fact, the Tohu Sauvignon Blanc is the way to go for $15 or less. The Maori own land in Marlborough wine country that they can’t sell, much to the chagrin of many a rich whitey. So they decided to make wine themselves. This Sauvignon Blanc has a soft herbal perfume, like fresh cut lemongrass, and tastes of ruby reds and barely ripe nectarines–with plenty of raspy edge in the back of your mouth.