It’s safe to say that summer is finally here.
This year’s slow transition from winter has seemed particularly long. Fortunately, it was a great wine season in the sense that spring gave us ample time to adjust from deep, rich reds to light reds to rosés and now to whites. We have officially entered the season of crisp, citrusy, clean and always-refreshing sauvignon blanc.
Sauvignon blanc is grown throughout the world. Excellent examples can be found in Chile, South Africa, Italy and even Washington. The greatest and most reputable sauvignon blancs, however, are from New Zealand, France and California. What’s fascinating is that just a whiff of one of these wines will tell you from which country it comes.
On New Zealand’s south island is the renown region of Marlborough, which proudly produces incredibly crisp and refreshing sauvignon blanc. New Zealand’s maritime climate is cool and well-suited to growing sauvignon blanc, and while they grow an array of other varietals, no other country is as famous for one particular grape variety as New Zealand.
These wines offer a purity of freshness and fruitiness and are intensely refreshing, with notes of grapefruit, gooseberry and lime and ranging from light to medium body. They’re also excellent values, typically under $20.
Perhaps less known but arguably the greatest (and the original) sauvignon blancs come from the east end of the Loire Valley in central France. Where New Zealand wins for most unique and best value sauvignon blancs, France wins for most stylish and most expensive.
Sancerre and Pouilly Fume produce famous wines that offer notes of lemongrass, gooseberry and, in some cases, notes of crushed sea shells imparted by the soil. While Sancerre produces wines of concentration and power, Pouilly Fume produces wines of elegance and finesse.
To some, these wines can be austere because of the intense tension between the high acidities and minerals. Complex and challenging, they are considered best accompanied by seafood, particularly oysters. Prices start in the $25 range.
While New Zealand and France produce crisp, clean and mineral-driven wines, California, because of its warm climate, offers richer, fuller wines. California sauvignon blancs are unique because of their more herbal notes. They often display notes of fresh-cut grass, alfalfa, green olives, melon and lemon. They are considerably softer, lusher and less acidic than their counterparts and pair nicely with white fish. Great examples can be found for less than $20.
To recap, it’s best to sample sauvignon blancs in the order they are mentioned above. On one extreme, you have New Zealand wines, which are by far the most refreshing and fruity and the best value. On the other extreme is California, which produces the richest and fullest wines. Resting on their sides in between are the sauvignon blancs of France.
And while each country’s wines are unique, you can’t go wrong with sauvignon blanc as your go-to wine when serving white fish or to wake up your taste buds on a hot summer afternoon.
Alan Cuenca is an accredited oenophile and owner of Put a Cork in It, a Durango wine store. Reach him at info@putacorkinit.org.
