YOU may have heard of the ABC club before. Among wine anoraks it is an acronym for the Anything But Chardonnay club and to my mind, those that subscribe are a misguided bunch of individuals.

By avoiding chardonnay, a wine drinker is missing out on some of the best white wines (and also some of the worst I admit). Therefore I've decided to start ABSB - the Anything But Sauvignon Blanc club.

My vinous "crusade" starts at a recent New Zealand tasting in Birmingham.

Ignoring the sauvignon at a Kiwi tasting rules out 50 per cent of the white wines to start with, what is left should definitely be sniffed but not sniffed at.

Perfect as ammunition against ABC members, because it is so awesomely good, is Felton Road Chardonnay 2004 from the Central Otago region of NZ. Musky, spicy, crisp, with flavours of melon, tropical fruit and hints of mustard, it is aged sur lie and spends 12 months in oak. It is bio-dynamic, unfiltered, wild fermented excellence but at a price.

From the Hawke's Bay region, Esk Valley Black Label Chenin Blanc 2005 is quality too. Dry and full flavoured with pear drops, lemon and honey, it is good glugging, yet complex and lingering.

New Zealand's most famous sauvignon blanc producing region has to be Marlborough. Not all of it is to my taste.

I think it tends to be rather aggressive.

Since this is written from an ABSB perspective I can recommend some other whites from the region, however.

Forrest Estate Dry Riesling 2003 is a treat for those who don't do residual sugar. Crisp, steely dry and brimming with citrus fruit, mineral notes and the characteristic kerosene aromas and flavours of riesling, this is one of the best New World takes on the grape I've had for a while.

You should also check out the Forrest Estate Gewrztraminer 2004, also from Marlborough. It is a full, creamy classic gewrz with oodles of lychees, pineapple, rose petals and a little spice.

And finally a wine quote I stumbled upon which is attributed to Anonymous: "Wine improves with age. The older I get, the better I like it."

Felton Road Chardonnay 2004, £14.95 + VAT from Playford Ros (Telephone 01845 526777, sales@playfordros. com) 19/20.

Esk Valley Black Label Chenin Blanc 2005, around £8.50 from www. everywine. co. uk 17/20.

Forrest Estate Dry Riesling 2003, £9.29 at Adnams Wines (Telephone 01502 727222, www. adnamswines. co. uk) 18/20.

Forrest Estate Gewrztraminer 2004, £9.99 at Adnams Wines (Telephone 01502 727222, www. adnamswines. co. uk) 17/20.