Almost two years ago at the 2010 Tri Nations Rugby Wine Tasting, I tried a wine described as having passion fruit flavors. At that time, I thought that most of the things wine was described as tasting like (stones, tobacco etc.) were ridiculous. But this wine, a Goldridge Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, really did smell and taste of passion fruit. Thus started my obsession with Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs. These wines have a distinctively crisp, zesty character thanks to the greywacke rock in the terroir, youthful soil and cool climate, and because the grapes are picked earlier than in Bordeaux, the other world leader in Sauvignon Blanc. Momo’s Sauvignon Blanc is one of my favorites, with a really light, citrusy flavor. Modo offers a good price on the wine at ¥300, and it’s ¥203 from the Wine Republic. For something more complex, try the Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc (¥331), also from the Wine Republic. The vineyard it comes from is run by Kevin Judd, who’s famous for having pioneered the NZ style of Sauvignon Blancs. Sadly, the Goldridge Sauvignon Blanc is now unavailable in Beijing, but Garry Anderson, who organizes the Tri Nations Rugby Wine Tasting, recommends trying an equally tasty Chateau Kiwi (¥198, AustralianWineClub@gmail.com) instead.