I’m a white wine bibber, and among whites my favorite grape is Sauvignon Blanc, and among S.B.’s my favorites are those from Marlborough in New Zealand, a district considered the best terroir in the world for this particular strain of vitis vinifera. The Marlboroughs taste very different from the grassy, minerally (lovely) whites of Bordeaux. They have a luscious, aromatic scent of flowers and citrus, even though they are dry wines. Wonderful with food, especially cheeses! (Don’t get me started on the unwisdom of drinking reds with cheese…)

The Kim Crawfords are reliably good but there are plenty to choose from including Villa Maria, Nobilo, Matua and more. An added bonus: the Kiwis were pioneers in the screw-top wine bottle, which lets you open it in seconds without a corkscrew. No, I am not a cork snob! I enjoy the ritual as much as anyone, but there are some evenings when you just want the bottle open… now.