This past weekend was a wine tasting in Gainesville that compared three different White Bordeaux wines. As I was looking for something to drink with my Halibut and asparagus dinner last night, I decided to head over and taste the wine and figure out which was the best to pair with dinner. All of them could have worked, but personal style always comes into play for pairing.

Standalone tasting

First up was Alliance white. This is a blend from Bordeaux that was done just for ABC. It has a majority of Sauvignon Blanc with Semillon AND a small percentage of Muscadelle. After tasting I found tropical note and crisp flavors with a floral aroma from the Muscadelle. I thought it might work for the Halibut but wanted to taste all three before coming to a conclusion.

Second, Ch. Rauzan Despagne Blanc. This has all three grapes again but done evenly with the percentages, it is also a bit more specific from a region known as Entre-Deux-Mers. This wine (for me) was a bit more special than the first. There were great flavors including grass, gooseberry, and citrus. It finishes with a wonderful mineral finish, almost like a limestone. I was thinking this would be the winner, but there was still one more…

Finally there came Ch. Trebiac White from Graves. Graves translates to gravel and that gives that great mineral flavor for the predominate Semillon. Because of this you can feel a bit more roundness in the finish without missing the final tart and fruity finish.

After tasting all three next to each other, which was the best part, I decided to go with Bordeaux number two last night with my dinner. It did not disappoint! The balance of the percentages did something for me and my palate. The mineral finish with the fish was perfect and I gotta say, the asparagus worked with the grass and gooseberry! I’ve been trying to be a bit healthier and fish with white Bordeaux will never get old. There are so many different percentages, styles, and areas, that I could go on forever. If you hear of these tastings going on at ABC, I always recommend going to find out for yourself!

Kathleen Anderson, North/West Wine Supervisor. Follow Kathleen on Twitter: @ABCwinekat