INSIDER'S PICK: 2021 SEIFRIED/OLD COACH ROAD SAUVIGNON BLANC NELSON $17.99

Even though we will not be doing the public tasting portion of the Insider's Pick until further notice, we will still be offering the wine for purchase with the usual 10% discount on Thursday and Friday. The wines will still be ones we highly recommend, and the tasting notes will still be our own. We will be returning to doing just the one wine on Thursdays and Fridays until further notice. We hope you are able to come by and get some wines to enjoy.

The Marlborough region in New Zealand is like Napa is in California, the region that gets all the hype, notoriety and tourism around their wines, almost a Disneyland-like aura. By that analogy, the Nelson region is like Mendocino, remote and out of the way, quietly making terrific wines under the radar. Though just to the Northwest of Marlborough over the Richmond Range mountains, the atmosphere couldn't be more different, and the wine character is noticeably different as well. Seifried is one of the older wine names in this region, and their Old Coach Road label uses fruit from regional vineyards that they source to make a value-oriented wine that really shows off the Nelson character. Bright, cooler citrus on the nose with hints of herbs and minerality, almost more a Loire aromatic than a New Zealand one. The palate is full of juicy green fruits, kiwi and gooseberry, as well as some soft peach/white fruits, almost hinting at sweet fruits but with a bright tang of acidity that helps the finish come dry on the palate. Super refreshing with lighter meals or as a cocktail, and a wine that should help convince you that there is in fact diversity to be had in New Zealand wines.

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