It’s spring in New Zealand. (What? No it’s not! Can’t you read a map?) No, I insist. A young country — geologically and historically — New Zealand’s wine scene reflects its people: open, friendly, and uncomplicated. It’s a tiny place, but its mark on the world of wine has been outsized for a while now. It all started with sauvignon blanc from Marlborough, with a flavor like grassy, zingy, fermented chile pepper that pinned your ears back when you tasted it. Then it was pinot noir, especially from the Central Otego — a region that, not long ago, was mostly fruit farms and desolate, rocky slopes. These days, residents can hardly stumble out of bed without stepping on newly planted vines.
Meanwhile, Marlborough “savvier” (as the locals call it) has changed. The classic style still exists, to be sure, but there’s a new swagger and sophistication to the best bottles, and few are better than the Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc, which hints at that old-school intensity of flavor while adding an intriguingly sandy texture and complexity to the mix. You don’t have to travel to another hemisphere to have a taste; pick up a bottle ($22.99) at Martignetti Liquors (1650 Soldiers Field Road, Brighton, 617.782.3700) or Cambridge Wine & Spirits (202 Alewife Brook Parkway, Cambridge, 617.864.7171).
