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.
Downtown Vernon Association: businesses working together
Since 1967, the Downtown Vernon (DVA) has worked to promote Downtown Vernon as a unique and dynamic destination for entertainment, goods and services. We encourage people to shop local, support local businesses and participate in community events. Through a variety of...
Country RV: built on service
Shopping for your first RV or looking for a change, you want a dealership with outstanding selection, professional staff, full parts and service, and uncompromising dedication to customer care. Since 1999, we’ve built our business on these key features. We carry top...
Sticks + Stones: creating beauty
In 1995, Sticks and Stones founder Carla Bond-Fisher entered the market to leave North America a little more beautiful than she’d found it. Twenty years, multiple moves and countless clients later, Carla’s at the top of her game, both professionally and personally....
KGH Foundation: legacy gifts ensure the future
The work of the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation reaches far beyond the hospital. This independent, volunteer-driven organization also enhances the delivery of health care through four extended care facilities, the Central Okanagan Hospice House and community...
Bohemian Cafe & Catering: eclectic eating experience
An icon in downtown Kelowna, ‘the Boh,’ as it’s affectionately known, is a favourite among locals and tourists for incredible downtown dining. In 2015, it won Best Breakfast, Best Vegetarian and Best Caterer in Okanagan Life’s Readers’ Choice Awards. Offering...
Real giants, superstars and Titans
In early March 1992, 60 business people gathered at the Four Season’s Racquet Club in Kelowna to display their personalities for the cover of Okanagan Life’s Progress issue. This was a hybrid magazine created by Okanagan Life and Okanagan Business to celebrate the...
0 Comments