Alas, Poor Whitehaven, I Knew Ye Well

In 1599, Shakespeare said: “I’ve come to praise Caesar, not to bury him.”

In 1968, Flip Wilson said: “I’ve come to seize her berry, not to praise it.”

In 2009, I must ask: Is it nobler to praise an enjoyable wine or bury it because it is overpriced?

A few wines jump to mind when I ponder this question. Nearly 20 years ago, I remember the moment I tasted Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio. What a revelation! So clean, so crisp and laden with citrus fruit. Santa Margherita is generally credited for the popularity of Italian and domestic pinot grigio, but as its renown (and production levels) grew, it outstripped any semblance of value at $30 a bottle.

Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel provided a Wow! moment for me 13 years ago when I tried it the first time. How could an $8 wine taste so darned good? Even on a student’s budget, I was able to buy it by the case from Liqu-o-rama wine shop in Hyde Park, NY. Of course even in the rotten state of Denmark, it’s hard to keep such things secret. Vintners Blend remains a decent wine, but a mere shadow of it former wonderfulness. At least winemaker Joel Peterson has the decency of keeping prices around $10, especially since he makes 700,000 cases of it a year.

Which brings me, finally, to my point. I just got my first taste of the 2008 Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. It was respectable—redolent in flavors of cantaloupe, lime, chalky minerals and floral aromas. But is it $23good, especially with production nearing 200,000 cases? For that question, I must channel the ghost of the indecisive Hamlet and say: Bring on the slings and arrows because I’m not so sure.

2008 Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand



• $23

• Two Thumbs Up

• A nose full of aromas, everything from flowers to orange zest to honey. Lots and lots fruit flavors, including melon, pineapple, peach, and lime balanced by a fair amount acidity and a stony, mineral quality. Quite hedonistic.