Tasting: Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc with Pizza

Name: Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Variety of Grape(s): 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Region/Country of Origin: Marlborough, New Zealand

Vintage Year: 2021

Price: $15

Winery Tasting Notes: The first Oyster Bay. Which happened to win the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world. Its brilliant clarity, extraordinary aromatic flavors, and refreshing zest are both thrilling and enthralling. It all starts in Oyster Bay’s Marlborough vineyards, in the region famous for introducing elegant, cool climate New Zealand wines to the world. Marlborough’s warm days and cool nights create an extended growing season allowing the grapes to develop strong, intense varietal characteristics while maintaining a balanced, crisp natural acidity. The result is a distinct wine that is always crisp, elegant, and refreshing. Stunningly aromatic tropical fruits and bright citrus notes, with a refreshingly zesty finish.

This wine pairs perfectly with lighter meals, a variety of fresh Asian flavors, and seafood. Made to be enjoyed within a year or two of the vintage (wine.com, 2022).

Wine Folly Notes: Wine Folly describes Sauvignon Blanc as very acidic and slightly sweet, which I agreed with completely. It is also described as having “strong herbaceous flavors” including honeydew, grapefruit, white peach, and passion fruit. I could taste the grapefruit and overall fruit taste very well. Further, I was happy to see that the average amount spent on a bottle of Sauvignon Blac is $15, since that is what I paid. I think trying Sauvignon Blancs from different countries (i.e., Romania, Spain, Moldova, etc.) will be exciting since I have mostly only had it from New Zealand. Also, given that it is recommend to drink Sauvignon Blanc with Asian food, I want to try that next (e-text, pg. 384-385).

My Review: I really enjoyed this wine and will probably purchase it again! As opposed to the tasting recommendation of pairing Oyster Bay with Asian food, I paired it with a charcuterie board (vegetable crackers, prosciutto, mushroom brie cheese, herbed goat cheese, gouda, and white cheddar), cranberry kale salad, and pizza with fresh mozzarella. The wine was good on its own, but I enjoyed it more with the food. It paired very nicely with the charcuterie board and pizza. The punch of fruity acidity was a good contrast to the salty cheese and prosciutto as well as marinara on the pizza. It allowed for each bite to be refreshing!

Wine Blog Introduction

Welcome to my wine blog! My name is Emily, and I am excited that you have decided to join this wine journey with me. Like many others, wine was the first alcoholic beverage I had. It was that time in life when parents think their children are mature enough to have a glass at Thanksgiving. I cannot recall what type of wine it was, but it was a red. I remember pretending to enjoy it in front of my sisters. It was not terrible by any means, but I did not understand why everyone loved it so much. Fast forward to now, I very much understand what all the fuss was about.

When I first began enjoying wine on my own, I admit I drank some pretty crappy ones. It was the Yosemite wine from 7 Eleven, and yes, it is as bad as it sounds. 7 Eleven has some variety: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Moscato, Pink Moscato, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Initially, they only sold the first four and not Cabernet Sauvignon. Of course, my friends and I tried all the flavors. I have to say a lot of my friends enjoyed the sweeter wines—Moscato and Pink Moscato. I could not disagree more. Those were always too sugary for me. My go-tos had to be Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay and later Cabernet Sauvignon.   

The college wine scene was quite different from the wine I had at family functions. To preface, I have three older sisters, ranging from four to seven years older than me, one of which took a wine class when she was in college. I have to say, she knows wine well and has travelled around the world tasting different wines. To this day, whenever we go to upscale restaurants or want a bottle for the table, I pass the menu to her. 

From the experiences I have had at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other family dinners, I feel that I have enjoyed some nice wine—a lot more refined than the Yosemite one. This is not to say that cheap wine is always bad, and that wine always has to be expensive because that is definitely not the case. I will say, I have enjoyed the wine I have had with my sisters’ more wise palates.

Overtime, I have realized that I enjoy Cabernet Sauvignon, red blends, and Sauvignon Blanc the most. Nonetheless, I do not know nearly as much about the history and all of the work and flavors that make wine so unique. I am excited to take Geography of Wine, so I can appreciate all wine—expensive and cheap—and have a deeper understanding of what I am drinking and how it pairs well with certain foods.

I cannot wait to continue my wine journey, and I hope you enjoy the ride as well!

***The picture below is from my 21^st birthday at Quattro Goombas Winery in Aldie, Virginia!