TRACES Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

TRACES Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

A feather-light Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc with all the character the region is famous for. Bright tropical fruit, citrus zest and a hint of gooseberry, at just 79 calories a glass and zero sugar.

Marlborough is the most popular style of white wine in Britain, and it earns it. Long sunshine hours and cool nights at the top of New Zealand's South Island ripen the fruit fully while holding the acidity sharp. That's what creates the rush of passionfruit and freshly cut grass you can pick out from the first sniff.

The catch is usually the alcohol. All that ripeness means most Marlborough Sauvignon finishes at 13% or higher, and a standard glass lands around 112 calories.

Ours comes in at 11.5% and 79 calories, without losing what makes Marlborough Sauvignon worth drinking. 

Tasting notes

Bright tropical fruit up front, citrus zest through the middle, and a classic hint of gooseberry on the finish. Crisp, aromatic and properly dry, exactly as a Marlborough Sauvignon should be.

The details

• 79 calories per 125ml glass
• 0g sugar, confirmed with the producer
• 11.5% ABV, full strength
• Suitable for vegans and vegetarians
• Marlborough, New Zealand

Serving and pairing

Serve well chilled at 8 to 10°C, which is around two hours in the fridge. Any colder and you lose the aromatics that make it worth drinking.

Goat's cheese is the classic pairing and still one of the best. It also works beautifully with oysters, white fish, prawns, asparagus, and salads with a sharp dressing. The acidity handles chilli well too, so it holds its own against Thai and Vietnamese food where a richer white would fall over.

Questions

Is it dry or sweet?
Properly dry. The tropical fruit is aroma rather than sugar, which catches people out. There's 0g of residual sugar in the bottle.

Does it taste watered down?
No. It's full strength at 11.5% and nothing has been removed. The calories are lower because the wine is fully fermented and made from fruit picked at the right moment, not because anything has been taken out of it.

Is it keto friendly?
Yes. At 0g sugar there's essentially no carbohydrate.

How does it compare to a supermarket Marlborough?
Around 30% fewer calories a glass, at the same strength you'd expect from the style.