What I am about to say next will probably result in my wine ‘re-education.’  I can already hear the tut-tutting from colleagues, and twitter followers dropping me like a tarnished penny. However, some of my best deals come from supermarkets.

Several years ago, I found a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. It had the requisite gooseberry flavours, crispness and satisfactory tart finish. Best of all when it was on deal, you could pick it up for £4.99 at Sainsbury’s. It is called Makutu Bay and works well as a “house” wine with a variety of foods.

After Christmas I noticed this wine was on sale. I bought a case ready for the spring. I drank a glass while making fish tacos last week. That is when I noticed the difference. The flavour was peachy. Gone were the gooseberry and grass notes. There was no acidic finish. Even the crispness had lost its edge.

 

I looked at the bottle, same name, almost the same label.  The country was different. This wine is no longer made in Marlborough, New Zealand. It is now made in South Africa.  I understand changing grapes, wineries, co-operatives, due to weather, seasons and fruit production, but changing continents is a bit extreme.

The official line from Emma Hurley, the press officer at Sainsbury’s, is that “due to the national shortage of NZ  (New Zealand) Sauvignon, we decided to move to South Africa to achieve a similar quality whilst maintaining the price point for our customers.”

 

In other words, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc has gotten too expensive and they have found another producer to keep the price down. Unfortunately it is not similar.

Luckily Sainsbury’s accepted the case for a full refund.

I am searching for a new “house” wine. Something with pizzazz and bite and most importantly falls into that £5-£6 a bottle range.

Emma recommends a Mount Riley Sauvignon Blanc (£9.49). She says it “has a real strength,” and is “a grown up sauvignon blanc.”  According to her, “It is also a bargain when on promotion.” I will wait for a promotion before trying it as a “house” wine.