Cool, calm & collected

Summer is definitely here and all I want is a long, cool glass of white wine – maybe with a cube or two of ice. Don’t judge – I bet you all do it! Sauvignon blanc is the perfect varietal to drink cold. The good ones are packed with loads of aromatic flavours, with crisp acidity and a refreshing, zippy finish. Here are three to suit all pockets. There’s no need to weep over the Angels Tears Sauvignon Blanc 2017 (R40) – it seems to strike just the right balance between flavour and value. Maybe they’re crying because they can’t get enough? Whatever the reason for the waterworks, the only thing that matters is that this is a delicious sauv with notes of ripe tropical fruit, just dry enough for plenty of crowd-pleasing appeal. For a little more finesse, try the Paul Cluver Sauvignon Blanc 2017 (R90) from cool-climate Elgin – the perfect place to grow sauvignon blanc grapes. The Cluvers and winemaker Andries Burger have years of combined experience creating a harmony of flavours between ripe fruit, green fruit and tangy acid. This wine is simply stunning whether you drink it with or without food. Did you know that Cape Town as a city is now a designated wine region? As opposed to Stellenbosch, Wellington and the like? The Diemersdal Eight Rows Sauvignon Blanc 2017 (R160) is one of the farm’s flagship wines and the first to be labelled “Cape Town Wine of Origin” – the idea being to help tourists understand the proximity of Durbanville to the city and to the cool Atlantic Ocean. This is a seriously structured sauvignon blanc with plenty of tightly packed fruit flavours. You can enjoy it now, but if you have patience, my advice is to give it another year or two. I promise it will be worth the wait!