Does Wine Come in White?
For those of you who were beginning to think I only drink red wine, and therefore will only write about red wine, fear not. I drink white wines as well, and this post will be our first white wine prescription (setting aside our holiday bubbles excursion).
While there are so many great red wines to learn about and experience, we need to remember there are a lot of wonderful white wines out there too. With that, let’s start exploring…
For this post, I am purposely avoiding Chardonnay. While Chardonnay is probably your white wine of choice, I want you to start experimenting and learning about other varietals. Probably the easiest way to leave your Chardonnay comfort zone is to try the next most recognized white wine, Sauvignon Blanc. Sauvignon Blanc has that crisp, sometimes herbaceous, sometimes “zingy” quality that makes it a great choice for sipping on its own as well as a good match with all kinds of food.
I’m sure many of you drink this wine already, but as we like to do at WineMD, let’s go deeper and put this varietal on the map. Sauvignon Blanc is grown in many areas of the world: France; New Zealand; Chile; South Africa; US and Australia. As we are starting to appreciate with other varietals, just because it is the same grape doesn’t mean it is going to taste the same in different parts of the world.
To help us quickly appreciate the qualities and differences in Sauvignon Blanc, I have picked an Old World and a New World version of the varietal: France and the US (California). I know a lot of you are familiar with New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc - this grape put New Zealand on the wine map. But for purposes of this post, the France/US example will offer a good comparison.
Let’s get started. Our Old World contender comes from the home of great Sauvignon Blanc in France, the Loire Valley- more specifically, the region called Sancerre. Geography lesson time:
The Loire River is the longest river in France. The map below shows you how much ground it covers. The wine making region of the Loire stretches from the Atlantic to the east where it starts bending south…
In addition to Sauvignon Blanc, the Loire is famous for other great white wines such as Chenin Blanc (particularly in the Vouvray region just east of Tours), as well as Melon de Bourgogne, generally known as Muscadet, near the Atlantic. There is also good red wine made from Cabernet Franc and Gamay. The best Sauvignon Blanc comes from Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume. Look for them in the blue and orange colored regions in the map below.
France
As I mentioned above, our wine comes from Sancerre. There are many good Sancerres you can try within our $20-ish everyday price range. Mine came from my local shop, Heinens, and cost $24.
2018 Domaine Francois Millet Sancerre
Notice the absence of the words “Sauvignon Blanc” on the label. This is yet another example of Old World wine producers using the name of their region and just expecting that you will know what grapes go into their wines. Keep reading WineMD and you will!
Domaine Francois Millet has been in the Millet family since the 1930s. The second generation of the family took over the estate in 1980 and have grown it to approximately 40 acres. The vines are 10 to 45 years old. This wine undergoes fermentation in stainless steel, with 4 to 6 months spent “on its lees”, and then 2 months in the bottle before release. Probably should have had this term in Wine 101…shame on the Doc! Simply put, lees are leftover yeast particles that collect at the bottom of the fermentation tank (or barrel). They add “texture” and “weight”, and are particularly notable in white burgundies (Chardonnay, right?) and sparkling wine, producing a creamier, fuller-bodied flavor.
Tasting :
On the nose, this Sancerre gives you classic minerality notes which are characteristic of the terroir- kind of a slate quality. This is followed by some peach/stonefruit aromas. The first sip provided fresh citrus and grapefruit flavors. These are often what you expect with Sauvignon Blanc. Right away you get that high acidity, another signature of Sauvignon Blanc. Following the fruit flavors, those stony, limestone soils come through on the mid-palate to deliver the total Sancerre package.
The Bottom Line :
The Francois Millet Sancerre is a good example of Sauvignon Blanc from one of the best places on earth to produce it. This wine has a suppleness to it - not one dimensional; not “linear” (another wine writer term: essentially a solid core of flavor from start to finish). With all its history and terroir, Sancerre is worth trying a couple of different producers to see what this wine is really all about.
California
Our California contender is one of my favorite US Sauvignon Blancs - Honig. Honig Vineyard is a family-owned operation in Napa Valley’s Rutherford area. The family acquired the land in 1964, and began producing their own wine in 1980. Current CEO Michael Honig took the reins in 1984 at the age of 22. Honig produces only two wines, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. They are one of the leaders in sustainable farming in Napa, making extensive use of solar energy. They are very eco-friendly, with lots of resident birds (hawks, owls, etc) and bees (Honig is German for honey!).
In addition to the focus, quality and consistency Honig brings to Sauvignon Blanc, I chose this wine because it is so widely available. All of you can find it, no matter where you live. Mine came from Heinens and retails for approximately $18.
Honig Sauvignon Blanc 2018
The first thing that jumps out at you from the shelf in the Sauvignon Blanc section is Hong’s see-thru label. Really ingenious and well done (my picture doesn’t do it justice). They’ve used it for years. Also check out the bee in the middle of the capital “H”! One of the things I like about Honig is they strike a balance with their Sauvignon Blanc - between zingy grapefruit acidity and tropical fruits. A couple of things that help them achieve this: they added a small amount of Semillon, a grape that contributes “roundness” to the otherwise laser-like acidity. Semillon is most commonly found in France as well as Australia (gonna keep moving; more on Semillon in a later post). Also, they fermented a small amount outside of stainless in neutral oak.
Tasting :
On the nose, you are struck by the fragrance of honeysuckle and melon/mango. Hints of lemon too. Interestingly, the taste does not exactly follow the nose. Your first sip is clearly grapefruit and lemon peel. Right down the middle of the Sauvignon Blanc fairway. It is not herbaceous. The wine is bright, crisp and nicely acidic. Honig has a good finish, in fact pretty long.
The Bottom Line :
This may be your go-to US Sauvignon Blanc. Very refreshing and juicy. Versatile style. Everyday price. Consistent year in and year out. Buy with confidence for yourself or friends.
Sauvignon Blanc & Food
Food pairings are many with this varietal: seafood, certainly delicate fish and shellfish. Oysters are an outstanding match. Also handles vinaigrettes, herb sauces, goat cheese… and Asian food!
Other Suggestions
We need to give the Kiwis some airtime. They know Sauvignon Blanc. Without going into any reviews, here are a few names you should look for:
Cloudy Bay
Dog Point
Kumeu River
Lawson’s Dry Hills
Spy Valley
te Pa
Well, that about wraps it up. Our first real white wine dive. Won’t be our last. Hope you have fun experimenting with Sauvignon Blanc. Let me know what you think.
Until next time…Cheers!