It’s been more than 30 years since Sauvignon Blanc burst upon an unsuspecting US wine scene in a big way with the first wave of Marlborough Sauvignons from New Zealand.  This Bordelaise white had, of course, already been with us; hidden in plain sight under the guise of Bordeaux Blanc and Sancerre.  Unfortunately, the average wine consumer at the time was generally unaware as to the Sauvignon component in these wines, thanks primarily to traditional French labelling--where appellation name always trumped varietal identification.

Sauvignon Blanc was certainly worthy of its newfound fandom and producers in NZ had no such aversions to displaying the grape’s name prominently on the front of the bottle.  More importantly, the Kiwis were the first perhaps to enthusiastically embrace this white’s zingy and pungent “wild side” which makes it exceptionally food friendly with a range of cuisines. 

Sauvignon Blanc may be the most versatile food wine on planet Earth, bar none.  It matches seamlessly with chicken, fresh seafood or goat’s cheese but is also a reliable choice when dealing with notoriously difficult wine pairing foods like asparagus or artichokes.  The mouthwatering acidity in Sauvignon Blanc is also an ideal textural match for the acidity in tomatoes; think fresh salsa, gazpacho or bruschetta, for example. 

You could also call it the quintessential “anything but Chardonnay” wine, too, as it typically has none of the oaky, buttery flavors that is associated with California’s top selling grape.  The standard practice is to ferment the must in neutral vessels like stainless steel to not detract from the Sauvignon Blanc’s vibrant essence.

The New Zealand style is so popular now with American wine drinkers that many consider it the reference point for the varietal, even though there are now other places in the world producing equally compelling examples.  California has certainly caught up with making top Blanc, especially in Lake County and Napa.  Alternatively, French Sancerre, Pouilly Fume, and Quincy have also never been better (I’d personally go here first with a plate of oysters).

Then again, there’s always Sauvignon Blanc from Chile too!  (BTW, we're due to ship cases of Chile’s reference-point Sauvignon Blanc to ABCFWS store locations any day now).  Be on the lookout for Casas del Bosque Sauvignon Blanc in the weeks ahead (more on this in a later post).

Cheers and Happy 4^th of July!

Jim Greeley, SW FL wine supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @ABCWineJimG