Great Wine Values: Evans & Tate 'Fresh as a Daisy'

Sauvignon blanc makes a great go-to summer wine for many reasons. It tends to make lighter and brighter wines that feature a snappy, refreshing citrus zing that is quite welcome in warm weather. It's also a superstar with summer-weight foods that can challenge red wines, like the seafood, salads, and garden-fresh produce we enjoy in these waning days of August. New Zealand has carved itself a wine-world niche on the strength of its distinctively herbaceous sauvignon blancs, but because this grape performs well in a variety of climates, it's well worth exploring other regions, too. A case in point is this delightfully brisk bottling from Evans & Tate, a pioneer in western Australia's Margaret River district south of Perth. It's perfect for those who prefer more purity of fruit and less herbal twang in their "savvies," as the Aussies call them, because the flavors skew more toward honeydew melon and white cranberry than cilantro and lime. It is also enriched with a light touch of oak from partial barrel fermentation and a touch of Semillon in the blend in the style of white Bordeaux — an unusual choice in the southern hemisphere. Fresh as a daisy, indeed.

Evans & Tate "Fresh as a Daisy" Sauvignon Blanc Margaret River, Australia. $9.99 for 750 ml (sale price through Oct. 1; regularly $12.99). PLCB Item #1218. Also available at Canal's Bottlestop in Marlton, $9.96, and Joe Canal's in Marlton, $9.99.