Kiwi Fruit and Euro Pop?

New Zealand is generally keeping its reputation for premium wines intact. The 2010 vintage was a good one for Sauvignon Blanc and at the recent Wines of New Zealand 2011 tasting the St Clair Premium Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Marlborough, £11.99 proved the point: Classy, elegant, lemony, flinty and mineral character. Stockists: Mill Hill Wines Tel: 0208-959-6754, Highbury Vinters Tel: 0207-226-1347, New Zealand House of Wine Tel: 01428-648930.
Keeping with same producer, St Clair’s Premium Riesling 2010, Marlborough, £11.99 is a delicious, dry and refreshing aperitif 12% abv white with exotic fruit notes. Stockists: Cheers Wine Shop Tel: 0207-706-4684, Wine and the Vine, Radlett, Tel: 07973-753928, C + N Wines, York, Tel: 017549-303606.
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is branching out, now being produced as a dry and fruity Marlborough sparkler by Brancott Estate, £12.99 and as a pink too. Southbank Estate Sauvignon Blanc Rose 2010, Marlborough, £8.99 is blended with a small amount of Syrah for colour and fruit character, a dry, classy, structured, drinkable pink, packed with appealing fruit flavours. Stockist: Waitrose. The Nelson region on South Island is growing in wine popularity and Spinyback’s Pinot Noir 2009, Nelson, £10.99 is soft, accessible, with red fruits and smoky notes. Stockists: Underwoods Wine, Warwick Tel: 01926-402100, Field & Fawcett, York Tel: 01904 – 489073, Wine

World of Honiton Tel: 01404-43767.
On a Northern Hemisphere note, I have been in France this week and I always on any visit check out the new Euro albums. Bernard Lavillers is one of my favourite French singers and his new album is Samedi soir a Beyrouth and also pick up the new live CD Putan de Stade by the very popular Indochine.