Misty Cove Organic Sauvignon Blanc

This is not the first time that elite sportsmen and women have joined the winemaking world. When Andrew Bailey and Jerrod Englefield, two former New Zealand cricketers, had put down their bats, they decided they wanted to keep working together, now in winemaking and wine sales. Their wine project is in Marlborough, in the Wairau Valley (South Island), where they cultivate 242 hectares of vineyards and the name, Misty Cove, was inspired by the misty coves that so regularly form in this challenging yet beautiful region of New Zealand. While the eccentric and epicurean Andrew Bailey is in charge of tending the vineyard and making the wine, his partner, the charismatic Jarrod Englefield, is responsible for sharing it with the world. This pair complements each other perfectly and together they have managed to create their own small empire with pleasant wines that, as they say themselves, are “wines for the good times”.

Misty Cove Organic Sauvignon Blanc is a white wine from a single vineyard of Sauvignon Blanc in the central Wairua Valley planted in pebble, clay and sand soil. The hot days and cool nights provide slow, high quality ripening. The grapes are harvested by hand in small boxes early in the morning, when it is not hot yet, which prevents oxidation. In the winery, the grapes are pressed as soon as they arrive and the resulting must is fermented in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature where it remains with its lees to preserve the freshness and aromatic character of the grapes.

The result is Misty Cove Organic Sauvignon Blanc, an organic white wine that is, as the creators say, meant to be enjoyed and not talked about. However, in the end, what they really want is for it to be a wine that everyone wants to talk about.