Sauvignon blanc is a bit like Marmite – people tend to either love or hate it. Critics wrinkle their noses at the cultivar’s sometimes mouth-puckering gooseberry character, while fans love its refreshingly crisp acidity and lemony taste.

Either way, there’s no doubt that sauvignon blanc has shot up in popularity over the past decade to become the fashionable white wine du jour. It’s also one of South Africa’s most highly regarded wines for its affordability and sheer quaffability.

Recently, new and interesting styles have started to emerge from the different wine regions of South Africa, which may tempt even sworn sauvignon-haters.

Jorg Pfutzner, sommelier and owner of Fine Wine Events, who organise the Constantia Fresh Festival, says it used to be true that many sauvignon blancs were made to a “recipe” which leaned heavily towards grassy and green pepper characteristics. But it’s now become a great example of the complexity and diversity that South African wines are capable of achieving.

“Sauvignon blanc is moving away from those very green, asparagus and green pepper wines to more ripeness and tropical flavours”, he says. “In many ways, sauvignon blanc is underrated. It’s possible for winemakers to follow a ‘recipe’ and manipulate it very heavily but that is happening less. It’s a varietal that is very capable of expressing its origin and terroir.

“South African sauvignon blanc is becoming less harsh, and there is more diversity of style beyond green asparagus!”

Jorg believes there are five distinct styles of sauvignon blanc emerging from South Africa at the moment: green and grassy; minerally styles from high-altitude vineyards; rich and tropical; elderberry-driven and those with strong yellow and greenfruit character.

South Africa is competing to make a name for its sauvignon blanc on the world stage against the likes of the Loire Valley in France, which is the cultivar’s spiritual and cultural birthplace in such wines as Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, and New World contenders such as Marlborough sauvignon blanc from New Zealand.

Elgin, Constantia, Durbanville, Robertson and Elim are some of the areas gaining a name for minerally and complex styles of sauvignon blanc which can make an excellent match with food. “Sauvignon blanc goes exceptionally well with food. Because of its high acidity, it can build a bridge with food as long as you pick a style that isn’t too loud”, says Jorg.

Minerally and citrus styles go great with raw and lightly cooked seafood, sushi, grilled fish and fish and chicken dishes. The more grassy styles can be a good match for salads or south-east Asian cuisine. Some other excellent food matches for sauvignon blanc include:

·       Seared tuna

·       Oysters

·       Gazpacho

·       Thai fish cakes

·       Goat’s cheese

Sauvignon blanc lends itself terrifically to blending with cultivars such as viognier, semillon and chenin blanc. Sterhuis, Quion Rock and Waterkloof are just some of the farms producing some great blends.

Favourite South African sauvignon blanc producers? That’s a tough call, but some of the most alluring and interesting examples we’ve tasted recently (including blends) have been from Iona, Chamonix, Almenkerk, KWV, Quion Rock, Sterhuis, Tokara, Weltevrede and Waterkloof. Jorg’s top picks are Buitenverwachting, Klein Constantia, Chamonix and Iona.

And for a stunningly good value wine, try Alexanderfontein sauvignon blanc from Darling, which would be double the price if it were from a more famous region.

Keen to try some of these new-style whites? Many of these new generation vintages will be showcased at the Constantia Fresh Festival on 1 and 2 March, organised by Jorg’s company, a fine wine event that puts the emphasis on wines that are, well, fresh and exciting. The festival kicks off with a fine wine dinner, prepared by chef Peter Tempelhoff. The main event on March 2 at Buitenverwachting wine farm will compare and contrast wines from Constantia with other regions in South Africa and the rest of the world.

By Claire Hu

Photographs: Mark Smith, Erin and Ben R, existangst, Michael Davis, Tjeerd Wiersma, Simone Piunno and Constantia Fresh Festival