Sauvignon Blanc: The other white wine!
By Guy Bower

Many wines ago, I fell in love with Sauvignon Blanc (Soh-veen-yoan
Blahnk) and the love affair has matured and grown with the recycled bottle
count. While not as famous as Chardonnay - yet - Sauvignon Blancs are
riding a wave of popularity. This will be the shortened version of
"everything you need to know" about this grape in the hopes of enticing you
to try some outstanding wine.

As with many noble grapes, its beginnings are in France, where
Sauvignon Blanc has been produced for years in Bordeaux and the Loire
Valley. In Bordeaux, it's usually blended with Semillon. Sancerre, the wine
of the Loire, is usually 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc and most often
un-oaked.   The characteristics of French Sauvignon Blanc are generally
more austere, flinty and less herbaceous than new world wines.

In California, this grape has, in the past, taken a back seat to
Chardonnay. Times are changing though and the plantings of premium
Sauvignon Blanc vineyards are on the rise, along with the price per ton.
West Coast producers have tended to make Sav Blanc more like Chardonnay
with considerable use of oak fermentation and aging. From that we get rich
aromas and flavors along with the varietal grass, herb, smoke, green tea,
hay and citrus attributes.

New Zealand has been shipping a vast array of great quality Sav
Blanc, mostly from the Marlborough region. These wines tend to be a bit
more like their French relatives, but with a unique style from the region
and soil. Kiwi Sauvignon's tend to have racy acidity, with hints of
tropical fruit, gooseberry, lime and lemon flavors, along with a flinty
dryness.

The basic flavors of Sauvignon Blanc are unique. Andrea Immer
describes it best in her latest book Great Wine made Simple as, "Where
Chardonnay is all buttery roundness, Sauvignon Blanc is taut, lithe, and
herbal, with a keen stiletto of acidity that vibrates through the center of
the wine. If Chardonnay is Marilyn Monroe, Sauvignon Blanc is Jamie Lee
Curtis."  How's that for a mental picture!

Immer and some other wine mavens also use "cat pee" as a
descriptor, especially for the wines of the Loire. I'm not a cat guy and a
litter box is not what I want to think of with my nose in a glass of wine -
but maybe I'm just under-educated - call me silly if you must!

Several attributes make Sauvignon Blanc a good choice. Price is a
biggie with the average high quality wine in the $10-15 range. If you can
splurge, there are some killer wines in the $18-25 price range. Sauvignon
Blanc is getting a lot of press these days and is being called the next big
"Wine Craze." That means now is the time to buy before the prices go up.

Price aside, these white wines are perfect for summertime dining.
It is great with an array of vegetable dishes including a salad of fresh
Mozzarella, vine-ripe tomatoes, baby salad greens and tuna in a light
dressing of olive oil, lemon, salt, pepper and a little oregano. Another
perfect match is crispy fried crab cakes with a lemon, garlic and white
wine aioli.

As an aperitif, by the pool with hors d'oeuvres or at the dinner
table with grilled salmon, wild and white rice and stir-fried zucchini and
yellow squash, try some of the wines available locally. Better yet, have a
wine tasting party and invite your guests to bring a bottle of their
choice. It's a great way to try a variety of these killer "other white
wines."
Cheers!


Good Life Guy's Best Sauvignon Blanc Bets

Guenoc Sauvignon Blanc - North Coast $15
EOS Fume Blanc - Paso Robles $19
Benziger Estate Sauvignon Blanc - Sonoma Mountain $22
Bernardus Sauvignon Blanc - Monterey $15
Trinchero Family Estates Sauvignon Blanc $15
Bogle Sauvignon Blanc - California $9
Dry Creek Fume Blanc - Sonoma $15
Taft Street Sauvignon Blanc $12
Buena Vista Sauvignon Blanc - California $9
Hogue Fume Blanc - Columbia Valley WA $9

*West Coast Wines are all 2000 vintage

Villa Maria Private Bin - Marlborough $19
Brancott Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc - Marlborough $13
Sacred Hills - Hawkes Bay $14
Te Awa Farm - Marlborough $14

*New Zealand Wines are all 2001 vintage