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New Zealand sauvignon blanc received plenty of praise, plus a few warnings at an international conference on this country's flagship grape variety in Austria.
New Zealand led the development of the sauvignon blanc grape in the New World, British Master of Wine Joanna Locke said at the World Sauvignon Blanc Congress.
In an examination of market trends at the conference in Graz last week, New Zealand sauvignon blanc was highlighted as a star performer in the UK, its main export market by volume. With an average bottle price in UK retail of £6.53 ($17.08), compared with the overall average of £4.10, New Zealand remained in front of other countries, said British wine critic Tim Atkin.
Professor Larry Lockshin of the University of South Australia warned of the dangers of focusing on a single variety. Sauvignon blanc made up almost 75 per cent of New Zealand's wine exports last year.
Global demand for Sauvignon Blanc was growing, but in world terms it was still small, Lockshin said, warning that regions required other grape varieties on which to hang their hat in case the sauvignon boom didn't last.
