Quick Review: Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc 2011

New Zealand, Martinbourough, Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc 2011
++ // Smooth // Flowers, Grass, Kiwi // Flowers, Mango, Vanilla // Medium

Wine Cheat Sheet: Sauvignon Blanc

Quick Review: Sauvignon Blanc at Salud!

Chile, Quintay Clava, Sauvignon Blanc, 2010
++ / Crisp - Fruity / Fresh canteloupe, citrus, honeydew / Tart apple / Light bodied

Went well with the spicy appetizers we had - empanadas and spicy quacamole. Surprising to find such a fruity quality to what is normally a crisp wine.

Quick Review: Outer Limits Sauvignon Blanc 2013

 Chile, Aconcagau Valley, Outer Limits, Sauvignon Blanc 2013
++ // Crisp // Lime, Green pepper, Watermelon, Grass // Grapefruit // Med

Refreshing in a thirst-quenching sort of way. The grapefruit flavors were an unexpected surprise.

Outer Limits Sauvignon Blanc from Chile

One of the benefits of traveling is trying the local wines from new and interesting places. When we can't get away, we can always pick up a bottle and pretend we have. We might miss out on the local food or culture, that way, but at least we get to enjoy the wine.

We've enjoyed a few bottles of Sauvignon Blanc recently. So when a bottle from Outer Limits in Chile arrived in the mail, we expected crisp flavors with strong undertones of grass and herbs. In this case, it seemed like Chile's warm climate had given the wine an additional edge--some sweet and tropical fruit flavors to add to the natural herbal quality of the grape. In fact, hints of grapefruit pleasantly surprised us at every sip.

We paired it with baked lemon chicken on a bed of spinach and mango salad, with a side of vegetable biscuits. The crisp herbal flavors complemented the chicken, as thisnneutral white meat can always use some additional flavors. The wine was ideal with salad, as the sweet tropical flavors that were so unique to this style played with the tropical flavors of the mango, a needed counterpoint to the natural bitterness of the spinach. Unfortunately, the wine was a bit too big and bold to work well with the veggie biscuits, but not every course can be a winner.

We thought we knew Sauvignon Blanc. But thinking back, we've had others from Chile with a similar flavor profile. It just goes to show that there is something to the whole "terrior" business, as the geography and climate have a big part to play in the flavors of a grape.

Quick Review: Wines at Vitae pt 2

Chile, Curico Valley, Echeverria Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc 2007
++ // Sweet // Forest, Leaves, Grass, Floral // Burnt Carmel, Honey // Light

Quick Review: Pedroncelli Sauvignon Blanc 2012

US, CA, Sonoma, Pedroncelli Sauvignon Blanc 2012
++ // Crisp // Lemon, Lime, Pineapple // Lemon // Medium

One of our favorite California wineries, with a great variety of wines at several price points (our favorite being their Dry Rose of Zinfandel.) We've fallen in love with every bottle we've sampled.

White Wine in WInter

Winter time can really limit your wine options. The cold weather encourages us to make hearty, warming dishes, and we look for wines to handle those big flavors. Fresh vegetables are long forgotten, and we hope our stockpile of root vegetables--augmented with the occasional imported tidbit from the grocery store--helps us make it through the dark months. Focusing on the handful of ingredients that last well through the winter allows us to find a recipe that helps us break from the red wine rut.

Broccoli is one of the few vegetables worth picking up from the grocery during winter. It's versatile and can serve as a base to a wide range of meals. You'll always taste the vegetable, but you can do a lot with seasoning and protein to add to the flavor. Fish and broccoli in a nice stew can make a great warming meal, yet avoid the gut-busting heaviness found in most other stews.

For a lighter meal like that, look for a wine that has a hint of crispness to complement the fattiness of the fish, with a vegetable note to match the broccoli. Sauvignon Blanc fits the bill in this case: crisp, herbal, grassy. These are flavors that can brighten up a cold day.

Quick Review: Honig Sauvignon Blanc 2010

US, CA, Napa, Honig Sauvignon Blanc 2010
+ // Crisp // Peach, Citrus // Under-ripe Peach, Grass // Medium

Quick Review: Pedroncelli White Wines

US, CA, Sonoma Valley, Pedroncelli Winery Chardonnay, Dry Creek Valley, F. Johnson Vineyard (“Single Block”) 2012
 ++ // Smooth // Vanilla, wood // Honey, citrus crisp // Medium

Reminiscent of a well-crafted mead. Starts out smooth (thanks to the tannins and honey flavor) but finishes crisp. Well-balanced.

 US, CA, Sonoma Valley, Pedroncelli Winery Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley, East Side Vineyards 2012
++ // Fruity // Citrus // Lemon, apple, apricot // Light to Medium

Don’t let the light nose fool you: this wine is actually packed with flavor.


US, CA, Sonoma Valley, Pedroncelli Winery “Friends White” 2012
++ // Smooth // Tropical // Lychee, tannins // Light

A blend of Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, but the Chardonnay came through the most for us. This is a table wine meant for easy drinking. Versatile.

Quick Review: Barristers Sauvignion Blanc 2010

US, WA, Barristers, Sauvignon Blanc 2010

+ // Fruity // Lemon // Meyer Lemon, Mango, flowers, grass, stone // Medium

Quick Review: Raphael Sauvignon Blanc

US, NY, Long Island, Raphael Sauvignon Blanc
+ // Crisp // Grass, Butter // Butter // Light

Quick Review: Airplane Wine

South Africa, Leopard's Leap, Merlot, 2008
+ // Earthy // Cherry, Leather, Grass/herbs / / Plums, Cherry // Light

South Africa, The Gander, Sauvignon Blanc, 2010
/ // Sweet // Citrus, Apple // Apple // Medium

QUICK REVIEW: Sancerre

Our Pulled Pork pairing
France, Sancerre (Sauvignon Blanc), Eric Montintin, 2009
++ // Sweet // Floral, Spice, Ripe Peach // Lemon, Mineral, Herbs // Medium

We recently posted about Sancerre:
http://localvinacular.blogspot.com/2011/10/did-you-know-about-sancerre.html

QUICK REVIEW: American Wine and Cheese Pairings

The delicious pairings we tried as part of the

2011 NYC Wine & Food Festival:

CA, Arroyo Seco, 'Grita Vineyard', Bernardus "Griva" Sauvignon Blanc 2009
+ // Crisp // Green Apple, Grass // Citrus, Green Apple, Herbs // Medium
Vermont Butter & Cheese Cremery "Bonne Bouche", VT
++ // Earthy // Stinky, Grassy, Salt // Medium-Full

CA, Napa Valley, Mumm Napa Brut DVX 2001
+ // Smooth // Toast, Grass // Apple, Oak // Light
Nettle Meadow "Kunik", NY
+ // Creamy // Grassy, Milk Cream // Light
Wine imparts a minerality, while the bubbles cut through the richness.

WA, Pacific Rim Chenin Blanc 2008
+ // Sweet (with a crisp finish) // Lemon, Petrol // Meyer Lemon, Vanilla // Medium
Bellweather Farms “San Andreas”, CA
+ // Nutty // Nutty // Medium
A very good pairing, the wine brought out some very herbaceous flavors with the cheese.

CA, Amador County, Terra D’Oro Barbera 2007
+ // Spicy // Blackberry Jam, Pine // Oak, Clove, Blackberries // Medium
Beehive Cheese Company “Barely Buzzed”, CA
++ // Nutty // Nutty, with Coffee, Mushrooms, and Lavender from the rind
This was an excellent cheese, and the coffee-rubbed rind added some amazing flavors, with brought out the fruitiness of the wine.

CA, Sonoma, Rutz Cellars, Pinot Noir “Dutton Ranch” 2005
+ // Smooth // Jam, Cherry // Black Cherry, Chocolate // Medium
Tumalo Farms “Classico”, OR
+ // Sweet // Caramel // Medium
Spicy notes of the wine pop with the cheese.
Sweet notes are enhanced with the Chenin Blanc.

CA, Amador County, Montevina Terra D’Oro Zinfandel Port, NV
++ // Sweet // Caramel, Pine, Currant // Grape, Pine, Caramel // Heavy
Sartori Cheese Company “Bella Vitano Gold”, WI
++ // Sweet // Limestone, Grass // Heavy
This was a very sweet combination, good choice for dessert!

CA, Woodbridge Moscato, NV
++ // Smooth // Floral, Apricot // Apricot // Medium
Beecher’s Handmade Cheese “Grayson”
++ // Rich // Stinky // Heavy
The sweet flavors of the wine juxtaposed agaisnt the strong flavors of the cheese created an almost herbal combination, tempering both the wine and the cheese.

CA, Chateau St. Michelle, Late Harvest Riesling “Ethos” 2008
+ // Funky, Smooth // Honey, Stone // Honey, Grape, Mold // Medium
Pt. Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company “Unnamed Blue”, CA
+ // Funky // Mold, Mineral // Heavy
The sweet flavors of the wine come through.
A spicy note comes through when paired with the Zinfandel Port.

Did you know... About Sancerre

Sancerre is another way of saying "Sauvignon Blanc." French wines are most often named after their region. Sancerre is no different: it's a wine region in the Loire Valley. All white wines produced in Sancerre are made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape. (A red Sancerre will be Pinot Noir.) Nifty, huh?

A map of the Loire Valley . . .
Sancerre is at the eastern edge of the green shape.
http://www.terroir-france.com/wine/loire_map.htm

 

Did you know . . . Noble Grapes

All hail the chosen grapes! These six grapes provide the foundation for wine production around the world and are often called the "noble grapes" due to their importance. 

They are:

• Chardonnay
• Riesling
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Merlot
• Pinot Noir

The first three are whites, the last three are reds. Wine regions often advertise being leaders in production from a particular grape on this list, but, at the end of the day, these six grapes are all that you need to know and recognize in order to select wine with confidence. Pretty basic, right?

While some experts have lengthened this list by adding more varietals, we take comfort in knowing that we can always find these 6 grapes on a wine menu or in a wine store. You can ignore the rest if you want to: with just these six grapes, you still have a lifetime of experimenting with region, vintage (year), and blends. We promise you won't get bored.