Viewed from the cramped, stooped, budget-end of the wine-buying spectrum, it is good to see quality producers like Villa Maria pitching some wares. Without them I’d I have to buy stuff like Longridge all the time. Would almost turn me back to DB Draught…

So it is always pleasing when my local supermarket loss-leads with a riesling like this:

Villa Maria Private Bin Marlborough Dry Riesling 2012 – $

Pale straw in the glass, light and floral on the nose, with melon and pear. In the mouth the wine is dry, light, fresh and crisp; all fruit, with none of the secondary characters of the previous wine. There is well balanced acidity with the residual sugar. This drop won Gold in the 2012 Spiegelau Wine Comp – I can see why.

I have had the Cellar Selection version before, and that was a step up, but this will be a fave for the rest of the summer. Too dry for the roast chicken I ate, but the florals were worth it.

With affordable and appealing wines like this out there, I can’t understand why riesling is so hard to sell to kiwis. Buy this!