Buy Sauvignon Blanc Wine Online Ireland

Sauvignon Blanc is one of the world's most immediately recognisable white grape varieties: aromatic, assertive, refreshing and extremely food-friendly. It is not as simple as many think, producing some of the most unrestrained, mouth-watering and pure white wines there are. It excels in cooler climates, but can also produce lovely tropical flavours in warmer regions such as the south of France. The grape's homeland is the Loire Valley, where the names to look out for are Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé and Touraine. Loire Sauvignon is precise, mineral and restrained, with lean, green fruit, grapefruit, fragrant nettle and herb aromas and, in the best examples, a flinty smokiness. But it is New Zealand that brought the grape to fame and fortune. This is Sauvignon, only more so: tropical and exuberant, bristling with passion fruit, lime, gooseberry and fresh-cut grass, with varying degrees of zest and zing, from Marlborough and from Wairarapa on the North Island. Beyond these two poles, Sauvignon Blanc comes from Bordeaux and Bergerac (often blended with Sémillon), Gascony, Chile, Australia, Spain's Rueda and Italy's Friuli. Sauvignon Blanc is a natural aperitif and a superb partner for goats cheese, seafood, sushi, Asian food and fresh salads. Looking for inspiration? Try the zingy Domaine de la Renne from Touraine or the exquisite Paddy Borthwick Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. At Wines Direct we stock the full range, from great Loire domaines to exciting New Zealand producers.