Wine with Leslie: Rosalia is right — we should be singing about Sauvignon Blanc

Here are three to try, including one from Rosalía’s part of the world.

Fri, 27 Feb, 2026 - 01:03

Can a simple glass of Sauvignon Blanc be a spiritual experience? Not usually, but can I recommend you pour a glass of your favourite one and swirl, smell and sip it while you watch the incomparable Rosalía’s video for her latest single, simply called Sauvignon Blanc.

The song and video are gorgeous with Rosalía’s restrained emotional vocals accompanied by soft piano and strings in a desert setting. She sings of eschewing material pleasures for something more spiritual, and a glass of wine. “I’ll listen to my god, I’ll throw away my Jimmy Choos, I’ll let my china fall… Sauvignon Blanc by your side, my future will be golden.”

Rosalía is correct of course, it is the simple pleasures that make life worth living. If you don’t know Rosalía she is Catalan and her sublime ‘Lux’ album of orchestral operatic pop music went global last November; a bit like Sauvignon Blanc, everyone loves it or can at very least appreciate it.

I admit that Sauvignon is not always my grape of choice but it really can be the perfect wine in the right setting. I try to give Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé and the best of Marlborough a couple of years in the cellar to soften and develop them; with age, a good Sauvignon has textured creamy layers alongside the flint and stone.

Entry-level Sauvignon is all about bright crisp apple fruits and searing acidity. Chile does it brilliantly, but you can find great examples from all over the world. This year I’ve tasted solid sub-€18 examples from Rueda, Penedès, Loire, Languedoc, Austria, Germany and Romania.

Sancerre is expensive, so keep an eye on the supermarkets for offers, e.g. Jean-Max Roger (Dunnes); M&S and Tesco Finest. Three to try below, including one from Rosalía’s part of the world.

Torres Viña Sol Sauvignon Blanc, Catalonia €8-10

Torres are that rare thing, a (very) large producer that is environmentally innovative and making great wines at all price levels. Restaurants serving this wine in Catalonia can send the bottle back for refills.

This is crisp, lively and fresh with some tropical fruit notes mixed in with the apple and lemon flavours, straightforward but very tasty.

Try with fish and chips or moules-frites

Dunnes; Tesco; SuperValu

Rapaura Springs Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand, €10

Dunnes Stores have this wine exclusively and it’s on offer this month, don’t be put off by the prices this is quality wine.

Bright lime and apple skin aromas, zingy and pure with fine texture and ripe fruits and a crisp mineral finish.

The single vineyard, Rapaura Springs ROHE ‘Dillons Point’, is just €12 this month and has more passionfruit notes and finer textures and will develop further in bottle.

Dunnes Stores

Comte Lafond Sancerre 2024, Loire, France, €39.99

This was the first fine quality Sancerre I ever tasted and tasting it again recently I was equally impressed. Aromas of elderflowers, lemon, and washed stones with a touch of smoky flint and of course apples and gooseberry.

Layered and textured with white fruits, lemon zest and stony elegance, restrained but expressive and worth keeping for five years. Worth decanting.

O’Briens; Jus de Vine; Vintry; Wineonline.ie; Independents

Spirit of the week

Two Shores Superior Irish Rum, €40

The rum revival is moving slower than it should but it is definitely happening. This is a sugarcane based ‘rum agricole’ sourced in Panama by Two Shores and then aged in Irish whiskey casks on the Atlantic coast.

Toffee, dark honey and sultanas, sweet tropical fruit flavours with caramel, spice, tang, cedary oak and a peppery finish. Smooth, balanced and delicious.