Spring, and time for asparagus salad with slivered almonds and shaved parmesan, braced by a chilled, racy New Zealand sauvignon blanc. If that’s your dream sequence, you’ll be happy to learn that another nine sauvignons from the very good 2005 vintage are among some 8,600 cases of Kiwi wine that hit Vintages May 27, synched to a New Zealand Wine Fair on May 23. Those interested in new variations on the theme might try Mount Nelson or Clos Henri, both from European producers, in the latter case Henri Bourgeois of Sancerre fame. But I’m also hearing yawns of ennui over the ubiquitous green pepper–passion fruit–grapefruit flavours of New Zealand’s signature white. For those who’ve had enough, the same shipment brings seven other varietals, including seven pinots noirs, two merlots and a few other whites—chardonnay, viognier, pinot gris—all showing the clean, green land as more than a one-trick vineyard. White or red, an artery of freshness courses through these wines, a summery élan that makes it effortless to serve a lightly chilled pinot with cedar-plank salmon, or a toasty, acid-driven chardonnay with garlicky, butter-drizzled grilled shrimp or scallops. Or mix and match white and red, same time, same table. The new sound of summer is the crack of a New Zealand screw cap.