Wine Grape Cheat Sheets: Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc—the Soundbyte: Sauvignon Blanc is one of the world’s major white wine grape varieties, celebrated for its distinctive aromas and bracing acidity.  Its crisp acidic backbone makes it one of the most food-friendly of all table wines.  Sauvignon Blanc is a highly aromatic white wine, and its distinctive aromas can vary greatly depending on terroir and winemaking.  While generally thought of as a single-varietal or blended dry white wine, Sauvignon Blanc is also used to craft luscious dessert wines.

Typical Attributes of a Sauvignon Blanc-Based Wine:

• Sauvignon Blanc can be made in a variety of styles, based primarily on fermentation techniques and whether or not the wine is blended or oak aged.
• Botrytis-affected and late harvest Sauvignon Blanc can be used to produce very sweet, complex dessert wines.
• Lighter style, dry Sauvignon Blancs are generally stainless steel fermented and aged only briefly (if at all) in stainless steel.
  • The typical attributes of this lighter style wine are: light-to-medium bodied, crisp (quite acidic), delicate, steely, precise, and fruity.
• The richer style, sometimes called Fumé Blanc in the New World, is often oak-fermented, sur lie aged, and sometimes oak barrel aged.
  • The attributes of this richer style include: medium bodied, rich, complex, smoother, and sometimes showing oak-derived complexity.
• Sauvignon Blanc is often blended with Sémillon in order to add complexity and tone down its usual razor-sharp acidity.  This style was pioneered in the white wines of Bordeaux.

Typical Aromas of a Sauvignon Blanc-Based Wine:

Fruity:  Green Apple, Apricot, Lime, Lemon, Green Plum, Melon, Pear, Grapefruit, Pineapple, Gooseberry, Kiwi, Papaya

Herbal/Vegetative: Cut Green Grass, Green Bell Pepper, Asparagus, Fennel, Herbs, Lemon Grass, Hay, Straw, Wildflowers

Mineral:  Wet Sand, Wet Stone, Riverbank, Ozone, Fresh Rain (Petrichor)

Chemical:  Ammonia, sometimes referred to as “pipi du chat”

Dessert Wine Styles of Sauvignon Blanc can display aromas of honey, dried apricot, peaches, nutmeg and even curry…botrytis-affected wines will have that inimitable “earthy edge”!

Where The Best Sauvignon Blanc is Grown:

• The Bordeaux Region of France, notably Graves and Entre-deux-Mers
• The Loire Valley Region of France, notably Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre
• California’s Napa and Sonoma Regions
• New Zealand, notably the Marlborough Region
• South Africa, particularly Stellenbosch
• The cooler regions of Chile and Argentina
• Australia, notably The Adelaide Hills Region

Food Affinities – Base Ingredients:

• Raw Shellfish
• Seafood of all kinds
• Chicken
• Acidic Sauces
• Tomatoes
• Salads, Vinaigrettes
• Vegetarian Dishes
• Avocado
• Asparagus

Food Affinities – Bridge Ingredients/Flavor Bridges:

• Citrus
• Fennel, Bell Pepper, Eggplant, Zucchini
• Herbs, Mushrooms, Garlic
• Dijon Mustard
• Capers, Green Olives
• Prosciutto
• Feta Cheese, Goat Cheese

Note: When it comes to food pairings, by all means—drink what you like!

The Bubbly Professor is “Miss Jane” Nickles of Austin, Texas…