Wine columnist and connoisseur DENNIS KNILL gives his views on five wines from Astrolabe.

Compared with vineyards in Europe, our wine industry is comparatively young.

Although the first quality grapes were planted in Hawkes Bay in 1861 by the missionaries, it wasn’t until the mid-70’s that Marlborough came into being.

Today Marlborough is leading the way with ingenuity and entrepreneurship and long surpassed Hawkes Bay as the hub of our growing wine industry.

History now reveals that when vines were first cultured in Marlborough, most believed the region was too cold for growing grapes.

However, like many success stories the benefit of hindsight is magical, where in the short space of 50-years, Marlborough has become the wine capital of New Zealand.

Of all the grape varietals grown, the most notable is sauvignon blanc. It’s our signature grape and one with a bold worldwide reputation that cannot be surpassed.

One of Marlborough’s success stories is Astrolabe, a family-owned winery of two generations led by Simon and Jane Waghorn.

Simon is the winemaker and is highly respected for crafting high quality wines. Over the last four decades he’s established a benchmark style of sauvignon blanc that reflects the climate, soils and intensity of grapes grown throughout Marlborough.

Here are five Astrolabe sauvignon blanc wines that are making their mark on New Zealand’s dynamic wine scene:

Astrolabe Taihoa Vineyard sauvignon blanc. RRP $45. Lively aromatic flavours of fresh citrus that is dry, deep and delicate showing excellent concentration. At its best when matched with chicken, pork, veal and summer leafy salads.

Astrolabe Kererengu Coast 2011 sauvignon blanc. RRP $38. Crisp and fresh with a lingering fruity finish, a finely integrated acidity that’s nicely balanced on the palate. Serve with oysters, prawns, sashimi and pan-fried fish.

Astrolabe Awatere Valley sauvignon blanc. RRP $31. Fruity flavours that are dry and fresh and a balanced complexity that is well-rounded with an appetisingly crisp finish. Pair with chicken, turkey, salmon and pork.

Astrolabe Province Marlborough sauvignon blanc. RRP $28. Displaying classic mouth-filling fresh citrus flavours that are strong, aromatic and refreshingly dry on the palate. Serve with smoked salmon, sushi and sashimi.

Durvillea Marlborough sauvignon blanc. RRP $18. This medium-bodied easy drinking wine is made in a dry style of herbaceous flavours showing lots character for the price. Pair with seafood, chicken risotto and pasta.