Intensely aromatic and juicy sauvignon also a richly flavoured chablis- like 1993 Chardonnay £10

Intensely aromatic and juicy sauvignon; also a richly flavoured chablis- like 1993 Chardonnay, £10.79.1993 Mark Rattray Pinot Noir, Canterbury, £11.49, Oddbins Stylish, attractively oaked pinot noir from South Island.. The Top Cat, American style metal trash cans now in British shops, are all very chic but not very practical. Classic, apple and honey Mosel- style riesling.1994 The Millton Vineyard Barrel-Fermented Chardonnay, Gisborne, £7.99, selected Safeway stores. Rich North Island chardonnay with the complexity of honeyed botrytis notes.1993 Goldwater Chardonnay, Marlborough, £8.89, Majestic. Rich, concentrated sauvignon; also powerful, toasted oak 1994 Dry Hills Chardonnay, £8.99.1993 De Redcliffe Riesling, Marlborough, about £7.99, Grog Blossom shops, London; D Bryne, Clitheroe (0200 23152).

Herbaceous, with clean-cut, gooseberry fruitiness.1994 Lawson's Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, £7.49 bottle/case, Bibendum, London NW1 (0171-722 5577). Lay & Wheeler also has the refreshingly dry 1994 C J Pask Sauvignon Blanc on offer at £6.54.1994 Forrest Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, about £7.99, Adnams, Southwold (0502 724 222); Berry Bros & Rudd, London SW1 (0171-396 9600). Fine, steely, almost flinty with a tropical edge; also an excellent ripe, gently oaked, elegant 1992 Chardonnay, £7.95 Both on special offer. Fragrant, intensely flavoured, gooseberry fruitiness.1994 Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, £6.99, Majestic. Aromatic, ripe,rounded fruit with a hint of green bean character.1994 Allan Scott Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, £7.74, Lay & Wheeler, Colchester (01206 764446). Refreshingly crisp, with elegantly restrained buttery oak.1994 Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, £5.95, Thresher, Wine Rack, Bottoms Up; Waitrose.

Attractively floral, deliciously dry, refreshing Mller-Thurgau.1994 Montana Marlborough Chardonnay, £4.99, widely available. Despite a tendency to lean towards acidity and herbaceous flavours, as vineyards mature, there are signs that pinot noir is becoming more intense in cooler regions such as Martinborough, Canterbury and Nelson, while promising blends of cabernet sauvignon and merlot could see Hawkes Bay become the St Emilion of New Zealand.1994 New Zealand Dry White, £3.99, Waitrose. The impressive 1994 chardonnays should convince those who think chardonnay ends with Australia that it is worth paying the extra for added flavour, natural balance and complexity.In the recent cool vintages, little attention has been paid to New Zealand's much-vaunted red wines. By contrast, the more restrained flavours of North Island's Hawkes Bay in wines such as C J Pask's ripe, juicy Hawkes Bay Sauvignon Blanc can provide welcome relief from Marlborough's often relentlessly gooseberryish twang.With so much of the spotlight focused on New Zealand's sauvignon blanc, it may be a surprise to learn that almost twice as much chardonnay as sauvignon is now planted there and has adapted with ease to New Zealand's different regions and winemaking styles.