What do you have in a good local sav?

What is a typical Marlborough sauvignon blanc?

That's the question on Picton man Graeme Kerr's mind, and he wants Marlborough wine enthusiasts to help him find the answer.

Mr Kerr and the Picton Wine Club have organised a special sauvignon blanc tasting to solve the mysteries of the popular wine and find out the qualities in a Marlborough sauvignon blanc that attract fans worldwide.

With the Marlborough wine industry spanning a vast area, and numerous new brands entering the market, the question of what defined a Marlborough sauvignon blanc had changed, Mr Kerr said.

"There was a time when Cloudy Bay set the standard for sauvignon blanc, and Montana was also well known, but now we've got all these others coming in. How many of the good ones conform to our idea of a good sauvignon blanc, and how are ideas changing?"

Mr Kerr said that when he stayed in Britain, he was often asked what defined a Marlborough sauvignon blanc.

Te Whare Ra winemaker Anna Flowerday will select 10 wines from different parts of Marlborough and lead discussions in the great sauvignon blanc debate.