Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is one of those grapes that goes well with and without food.  Sauvignon Blanc produces outstanding wine from the French appellations Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume in the Loire Valley and is the white wine of the Bordeaux regions.  It thrives in the Marlborough and Hawkes Bay regions of New Zealand and also produces quality results in Chili, as well as in California and Washington State.  Few wines go so well with seafood and shellfish like a good Sauvignon Blanc. 

There are few places in the world where the right ingredients come together in such harmony as New Zealand and Sauvignon Blanc.  It is difficult to find a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc that isn’t good.  Granted some are better than others so you still have to look, but you’ll be right more times than you will be wrong. 

Sauvignon Blanc does best in sunny but cooler climates and is most often drunk young and typically not aged.  Sauvignon Blanc produces wine that is dry and crisp.  The wine typically falls into three categories: fruit, herb/grass, and the California style which ages the wine in oak, producing a creamier flavor with a touch of smoke and vanilla.  The fruit style boasts intense citrus fruits and is excellent with shellfish.  The herb/grass style is more complex and is a natural fit with vegetables platters and dips.  The California style complements poultry.