Conveniently I chanced upon Oyster Bay soon after reviewing Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc 2009, and so I could make a comparison.

Different price points as this bottle was around £5.50, so the cheaper end of the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc market.

A blue screw top with nothing remarkable about the packaging, just a distinctive, appealing name.

The pale look in my glass was about the only similarity to Villa Maria. For me, drinking Oyster Bay was a real struggle. It was very acidic and lemony, and did not deliver a flurry of rich rounded layered aromas. It also lacked a smooth finish. A bit one dimensional.

Remember that I am not a Sauvignon Blanc 'fan' anyway so my opinion will be a little on the harsh side if the wine is not spot on. I did however get a few other views that seemed to echo mine. The big flavours that are synonymous with New Zealand and this varietal need to be treated with care and attention in the finished product, and if that means having to spend and few extra quid on Villa Maria then so be it.

If you do not have the budget, then why not venture into the Loire where you can find some well balanced French Sauvignon at a better price, without the hit and miss risky fireworks of the New Zealand rich gooseberry/lemon/passion fruit bomb.

Oyster Bay is however extremely successful in the UK, which may well mean that Sauvignon Blanc fans cannot resist the marketing and have forgiving palates.

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