Hot Topic: Sauvignon Blanc ~ A Perfect Match for Warmer Weather
By Bryan Robbins, Cool Springs Wines & Spirits
Published in VIP Franklin Magazine, May 2006
When the weather gets warmer and we do more outdoor entertaining, our taste in wine often changes from red to white. As we make this transition, it is interesting to note that Cabernet Sauvignon, the classic red wine, is a genetic cross between Cabernet Franc and a classic white wine, Sauvignon Blanc. And it is Sauvignon Blanc that is exciting the interest of many Williamson County wine drinkers who are ready for a change from familiar over-oaked Chardonnays.
What wine lovers discover when they enter the realm of Sauvignon Blanc
is that there is a relatively new player on the world stage — New Zealand.
Produced in every appellation in New Zealand, the finest examples come
from Marlborough, where two-thirds of the country's Sauvignon Blanc vines
are planted. Relatively low rainfall during the ripening process helps
to protect the grapes and vines against diseases while the long, cool
growing conditions help produce extremely expressive fruit flavors. As
with most wines, the soil plays a big role in wine's style. Marlborough
is known for its free-draining alluvial soils, which vary across the region
from rich silt loams to sand and stones. These soils serve as a heat-retention
mechanism, giving the wines more intense flavor.
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc typically has tantalizing aromas and flavors of
grapefruit, passion fruit, nectarine and lime leaping from the glass.
Gooseberry, guava and herbal qualities often follow citrus on the palate.
The vibrant flavors are enhanced by high levels of acidity needed to
provide balance — and that same clean, crisp acidity makes for a
mouth-watering finish. This makes New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc ideal
for sipping on the porch during a Tennessee summer evening and they
also match perfectly with salads, tomatoes, seafood, poultry, pasta and cheeses.
New Zealand has already impressed us with its Pinot Noir, Riesling,
and Gewurztraminer. Sauv Blanc (as it is often called) promises to be
the next big thing from the little land Down Under.