Winter Whites

I sat down with some friends earlier in the week to taste a handful of white wines. As it gets colder outside, most of us tend to think about big, chewy red wines, and begin a Winter-long white wine-drinking hiatus. Well, we defied that trend, and blind-tasted Sauvignon Blancs - specifically two bottles of Sancerre from the Loire valley in France, and two bottles of Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region in New Zealand. All four were quite good, but I especially loved the two Kiwi whites.

Nobilo SB (retails for around $12), nearly reminded me of an Alsatian white, as it showed vibrant, zesty tart fruit balanced by a yeasty breadiness mid-palate. The Babich SB (retails for around $13), as one other taster described, was "an explosion of citrus fruit" on the palate. Unabashed, grapefruit and orange peel jump out of the glass, and the flavors remain persistent. If you're looking for good, thought-provoking, reasonably priced white wines to enjoy year-round, these New Zealand Sauv Blancs will do the trick.