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.
Jeremy Woo: Winning Work Ethic
Jeremy Woo doesn’t do things for others to gain glory, accolades or attention, he reaches out because it fills him up. “When you help someone else, you feel and they feel better. There’s twice the benefit,” says Jeremy, a 17-year-old, Grade 12 Kalamalka Secondary School student….
Kelowna Crisis Line – 250.763.9191
The Crisis Line is taking applications for the next training session that runs Feb. 7 to Feb. 18. If you want to volunteer call Lynne at 250.763.8058 ext. 233 or email crisisline@kcr.ca. Space is limited and interviews are on NOW! Read more about Crisis Line volunteer Maria Boruta…
Not a Grannie’s Tale
It’s a cold winter evening. I gather my jacket around me, tucking my hands into its folds and shrugging my shoulders to block the wind from my neck. I scurry into a warmly lit store, and see a table circled by eager 20-somethings, chatting and laughing as they pull out their supplies….
Community Activist Hannah Paracholski
“I feel like we were put on this planet to help one another,” says Hannah Paracholski a 14-year-old Vernon Secondary School student. “I think we should go out of our way to do so whether the person is next door or far away.” When Hannah sets her mind to something…
Golden Mile Sub Appellation
When sub-appellations are named in the Okanagan, the Golden Mile Bench between Oliver and Osoyoos is on track to be among the first (along with the Black Sage and Naramata benches). Highlighting the individuality of the wines, sub-appellations are part of the evolution of a mature wine region—and much coveted by wineries.
Hockey Valley
No question we’re obsessed with the national sport. Check out our Okanagan hockey highlights …
0 Comments