After tasting 98 Sauvignon Blancs blind on Monday, we have a pretty good idea of how much a particular wine is “worth” in comparison to its competitors. If you assume that the 98 wines submitted were a pretty accurate reflection of the market, then the value derived through comparison to other wines with similar scores is a useful pricing tool.

WINE                                                              RRP          VALUE

Secret Cellar Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R33.00 R136.00
Darling Cellars Reserve Bushvine Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R31.95 R87.40
First Sighting Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R64.00 R158.56
Rooiberg Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R32.50 R80.46
Slanghoek Private Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R34.50 R92.53
Tierhoek Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R60.00 R147.76
KWV Classic Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R40.00 R96.49
Jordan Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R81.50 R166.85
Van Loveren Family Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R36.00 R74.32
Lutzville Diamond Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R50.00 R104.06
Namaqua Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R30.00 R59.95
Two Oceans Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R30.00 R58.82
Alvis Drift Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R40.00 R74.94
Obikwa Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R28.00 R49.76
Maastricht Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R60.00 R115.53
Deetlefs Sauvignon Blanc 2012 R59.00 R100.03
Lutzville Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R35.00 R60.04
Tangled Tree Tropical Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R30.00 R50.14
Perdeberg Dryland Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R62.00 R98.13
Groote Post Darling Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R76.00 R108.90
Diemersdal Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R52.00 R81.76
Chamonix Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R70.00 R124.84
John B Johny Burg Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R30.00 R42.96
Tokara Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R60.00 R90.03
Perdeberg Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R32.50 R50.54
Table Bay Cape of Good Hope Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R34.00 R51.32
Bouchard Finalyson Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2010 R117.00 R171.34
Altydgedacht Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R60.00 R85.22
Du Toitskloof Cellar Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R36.00 R52.25
Laborie Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R42.00 R59.99
Lutzville Diamond Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2012 R50.00 R69.75
Zevenwacht 7 even Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R42.00 R56.31
Zonneblom Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R45.00 R59.93
Bouchard Finalyson Walker Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R87.00 R105.38
Sumaridge Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R70.00 R79.53
Durbanville Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R52.00 R64.68
Fleur du Cap Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R52.00 R68.81
Bergsig Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R49.00 R60.00
Kloovenburg Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R79.00 R95.31
Simonsig Sunbird Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R65.00 R78.25
Majors Hill Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R50.00 R60.04
Landskroon Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R43.00 R48.02
Zevenwacht Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R58.00 R65.40
Darling Cellars Premium Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R65.00 R71.61
Meerkat Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R40.00 R43.76
Sutherland Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R70.00 R75.49
Fleur du Cap unfiltered Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R95.00 R101.78
Christina Van Loveren limited release Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R70.00 R70.02
Beau Joubert Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R60.00 R60.02
Saam Mountain Sauvignon Blanc 2013 R45.90 R46.50

There were a similar number of Sauvignons with a cellar price higher than their value. We’ll leave this to followers of the Platter sighted wine guide for whom the label is more important than the taste. From the list above it is clear that the Darling Cellars Reserve Bushvine is seriously underpriced at R32 while the Premium Sauvignon Blanc from the same producer is pretty much spot on at R65.

Each cultivar will have a different price curve with fashion and prejudice built in. Prices of Pinot Noir are unlikely to match Pinotage and some styles of wine will likely be better value than others if we compare across categories. The Good Value Guru Soirée blind tastings are compiling a useful database for wine marketers and restaurateurs.

Is Chenin Blanc better value than Sauvignon Blanc?

Does Wellington offer more bang for buck than Paarl?

Such are the questions we’ll be asking at the first Quantitative Wine Workshop to be held at the Taj Taste College in Cape Town on June 18. And rather than relying on the opinons of spinmeisters with perms and rotating bowties, we’ll be asking Bacchus, our online SA quantitative tasting database.  To join the workshop mailing list, simply send your details to [email protected]