Vidal 2018 Chardonnay, Hawke’s Bay $15.99
Why I chose it:

Chardonnay 2nd most consumed NZ varietal
Good “stand-by” wine because its popular
Food friendly
My wife loves it so we taste/drink a lot of less expensive Chardonnays
Fellow wine critic – VM and Church Road on special

What does it taste like?

Cheap Chard can often be a bit thin and slightly sweet. This is bone dry with plenty of weight and peach, citrus and spicy oak flavours.

Why it’s a bargain:

Recommended retail price is $15.99 but a diligent shopper should do better than that. Look for specials and search online for the best price. I use website Wine Searcher.
Delivers a lot more than I expect from a Chardonnay at this price level

Where you can buy it?

Clengarry Wines and New World have it for the RRP of $15.99, but I found it at the online website The Good Wine Co for $13.99 although you’ll need to pay a freight charge of $5 for city deliveries or $9 for rural deliveries.

Food match?

Very food friendly
Most seafoods, white meat, veg dishes and even mild curries. I’ve got a friend who loves it with roast lamb – a bit of a stretch for me.

Will it keep?

It’s good for a few years thanks to screwcaps although it probably won’t improve much.

Bob’s website: therealreview.comLISTEN TO AUDIO ABOVE