Sauvignon Blanc: white magic
Stand-alone or boosting a blend, this unforgettable character loves good food and makes good times
Freshly, lively, food-friendly Sauvignon Blanc is among the most instantly recognizable varietals. It flaunts piercing aromas of gooseberry, cut grass, asparagus, flowering currant, green pepper, nettles—and even cat’s pee. This cool climate grape reaches its apex of aromatic intensity and zesty crispness in France’s Loire Valley (showing a minerally, flinty, smoky, lemony character in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé) and in New Zealand (often bursting with ripe tropical fruit flavours in wines of the South Island’s Marlborough region).
In Bordeaux, it is traditionally blended with Sémillon to make less intense whites to go with local fruit de mers, and also sweet, botrytised dessert wine. Use of oak is the exception. Examples of oak aged Sauvignon Blanc include white Graves, a Sémillon blend, and Fumé Blanc, a name invented by Robert Mondavi for oak style Sauvignon Blanc.
Quick facts
- Coined in California in 1981, the term Meritage (pronounced like heritage) is the trademark for wines blended from traditional Bordeaux varieties
- White Meritage is made by blending two or more of Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Sauvignon Vert
- Chile’s Casablanca region and South Africa’s Cape region are successful Sauvignon Blanc producers
Best way to enjoy
Food pairings: Loire style with goat’s cheese, asparagus quiche, salad, light fish, oysters; New Zealand style with flavourful seafood, vegetables, pork (slightly sweet and cooked with spices) and Meritage with richly sauced fish dishes, lobster
Temperature: 6-8 C
Type of glass: tulip-shaped wine glass
Read more of the original stories celebrated in our 30th-anniversary issue.
Volunteers keeping the slopes safe at Apex Mountain Resort
The red, white and black uniforms stand out against the white slopes of Apex Mountain Resort as the ski patrol sets out for their day.
Paralympic snowboarding competition returns to Big White
The world’s best para-snowboard athletes will take to the slopes of Big White Ski Resort from February 3-8, 2019. Canada Snowboard, in association with BC Snowboard and Big White Ski Resort, is excited to announce the return of the World Para Snowboard World Cup.
Student-designed small home has big sustainability features
The Roche family home on Penticton’s Upper Bench might look typical from the outside, but its design had some student help.
Working together for a national park reserve in South Okanagan-Similkameen
Minister McKenna: “We have the opportunity to do something extraordinary, something historic – to create a new national park reserve that protects an incredible place for future generations.”
Transportation
Web of Lies
Caught in the net of the online world