Ericka @Chef PickyKid and Me
In last week’s installment of Wine on Wednesday, we learned more about Cabernet Sauvignon. This week’s Wine on Wednesday focuses on Sauvignon Blanc!
This week’s Wine on Wednesday moves back into the white wine varietal with Sauvignon Blanc. Another popular white wine, Sauvignon Blanc originated in the Loire Valley of France, but is also cultivated in many other areas of the world, notably in the Marlborough region of New Zealand and of course, California.
Unlike the buttery, creamy texture you may find in a Chardonnay wine, Sauvignon Blanc is known for having a crisp, more acitic flavor. Sauvignon Blanc also tends to be a dry white wine, meaning it will leave a puckery feeling in your mouth after tasting it. Because it is a crisp wine, fruity flavors will be very noticeable in a Sauvignon Blanc; flavors you’ll typically find in Sauvignon Blanc will be apple, lime and other citrus fruits, tropical fruits, or even peach.
What’s most interesting about Sauvignon Blanc wines are some of the other flavor notes you may find. Sauvignon Blanc may have flavors of grass, peppers, gooseberry, or even hay! You might be thinking that it seems strange to drink a wine that tastes like grass, but these flavors are light undertones that give the wine a slightly herbal element. This will not be the primary flavor of a Sauvignon Blanc wine.
Because of the slightly herbal flavors in Sauvignon Blanc, this wine pairs wonderfully with dishes with fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, or other Italian seasonings. Sauvignon Blanc also pairs great with dishes that include garlic. And, as with many white wine varietals, Sauvignon Blanc is a good wine choice with white meat, fish, and even sushi.
Is Sauvignon Blanc the wine choice for you? If you might prefer a white wine that’s less sweet than other varietals like Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio, and you like a more crisp flavor with apple and tropical fruit notes (although there can be a lot of variation between winemakers of Sauvignon Blanc), this might be a good wine for you. Don’t let the idea of herbal, pepper, and grass flavors scare you away from trying this wine as these are typically undertones that add interesting flavor and complexity to the wine.
Here are a few of my favorite Sauvignon Blanc winemakers:
I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s installment of Wine on Wednesday. Stop by next for week for Merlot!!
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