Man O’ War Sidewinder Sauvignon Blanc

On a 1769 voyage Captain Cook saw potential in what he saw at the eastern end of Waiheke Island. Shiver me timbers, it was timber! He saw the massive kauri trees as ideal masts for the fleet of wooden battleships – thus he named it Man O’ War bay.

If only he’d realised what potential this part of New Zealand had for growing grapes. And boy, does it grow them well!

The Sidewinder is Man O’ War’s latest Sauvignon Blanc label (replacing the white label Man O’ War Sauvignon Blanc) and the 2024 is the debut Sidewinder release.

This is Sauvignon Blanc Jim, but not as we know it! This is 100% Waiheke Island Sauvignon Blanc from a world class Waiheke producer. It’s all dry farmed and hand harvested fruit from elevated hillside vineyards, catching all of that cool sea breeze which helps create small crops of intensely flavoured grapes.

The Man O’ War crew said “Vintage 2024 was an incredible growing season…Sidewinder is an opportunity to celebrate and explore the regional diversity of our icon variety of New Zealand.”

Scoring 91/100 by Master of Wine Stephen Wong for The Real Review, who said “Young and refreshing, this is long and perfumed with lip-smacking acidity.”