While there is a plethora of great tasting white wines currently on the market, why not make an effort to try something completely different this summer.  The Sauvignon Blanc grape variety is growing in popularity and delivers a sharp variation to all others, producing an outstanding wine with a profusion of different aromas and flavours.  Seen by some as too light and acidic to make “serious” wines, this variety is a refreshing departure from the trend to over-oak everything.

Sauvignon Blanc grape traces its origins to western France the Bordeaux and Loire regions of France.  The grape gets its name from the French word “sauvage” meaning wild and Blanc, which is self-explanatory and along with Cabernet Franc, it has the distinction of being one of the parents of the king of red grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon.  However, it is the tiny island of New Zealand that has taken this European variety to new heights, producing racy wines with a wide range of flavours, from tropical fruit and gooseberry to green apple and bell pepper.

The flavour profile of Sauvignon Blanc can vary depending on where it is grown in the world.  New Zealanders liken it to “gooseberry,” but that is not a familiar smell or flavour to most North Americans.  Kiwi is somewhat similar to Gooseberry.

Quite often Sauvignon Blanc can pick up an aggressive cat-box, bell pepper or green bean aroma when the grapes lack sun exposure or are harvested under-ripe.  Clonal selection and viticultural practices that expose the grapes to more sunlight will yield a wine that has a more tropical-like aroma.

Barrel-fermenting Sauvignon Blanc, a winemaking practice not used a lot for this variety when compared to Chardonnay, can also alter the aroma and add certain complexities.  Blending with Semillon is a common practice in Bordeaux and other areas, which can add an oily richness and being lower in acid than Sauvignon can soften the sometimes-abrasive character, much the same way as what Merlot does for Cabernet.

At its best, Sauvignon Blanc grapes produce wines with searing acidity and a multitude of fruit flavours.  In New Zealand, it has become a celebrity where it started to draw world attention in the 1980s.  It has since been acclaimed by wine writers throughout the world as the definitive benchmark style for the varietal and there are two different styles that have emerged over the years.

Riper, richer fruit aromas and flavours of melon, nectarine and other stone fruits tend to originate from the warmer climate of the North Island and the typically lighter and crisper style with passion-fruit and other pungent fruit flavours as well as red pepper, gooseberry and herbal characters come from the Southern Island.

Here in BC, it is a very important variety, becoming the 5th largest planted white grape in BC.  It has steadily increased in size from a meagre 589-ton production in 2004 to just over 1400 tons in 2011.  Currently, there are 392 acres of Sauvignon Blanc planted, a decrease of 10.5% from 2008.  (Source: B.C.W.I. 2011 Acreage report)

Sauvignon Blanc is a very versatile food wine that can complement everything from shellfish and Caesar salad to fried chicken and aged Jarlsberg cheese.  It will also compliment foods with herbs such thyme, rosemary, basil, tarragon and coriander and white meats such as chicken, veal, turkey and pork.  The leaner, greener versions of Sauvignon Blanc are dynamite with food especially Thai dishes, vegetables, white-fleshed fish and shellfish while the fuller styles are an awesome match for the richer dishes you might usually associate with Chardonnay.

Whatever the style, this is a wine that has a place at the BBQ this summer.  Enjoy.

Here’s a selection Sauv Blanc’s to try over the summer.

A superb addition to the range of Sauvignon Blanc’s available from BC, the 2010 Prospect ‘Council’s Punch Bowl’ ($11.20) is a classic.  Displaying copious amounts of lush tropical pineapple, grapefruit, and kiwi fruit with hints of fennel, sage, and tarragon, this is a delicious North American version that pays homage to New Zealand but still retains the North American influence.  The palate is racy and crisp with a succulent, mouth filling texture of tropical and orchard fruit with just a hint of greenness for complexity.  The finish is dynamite with clean, crisp mouth-watering acidity that just begs for goat cheese.  I paired this with sautéed chicken breasts stuffed with creamy goat cheese.  Stunning.

There are buckets of ripe tropical fruit in the 2010 Pacific Breeze ($21.90).  Look for aromas of grapefruit, pineapple, passion fruit, kiwi, mango and gooseberry.  Totally fermented in stainless steel tanks, it’s loaded with flavours of fresh pineapple, grapefruit, kiwi, passion fruit, peach and lime with racy acidity on the finish.  A perfect match for goat cheese or a shellfish medley of oysters, clams, scallops, mussels, crab and shrimp.

The 2011 Viña Chocalán ($15.90) is a deliciously great value wine, bursting with fresh grapefruit, pineapple, passion fruit, gooseberry and kiwi with mouth-watering, zingy, crisp acidity and clean fresh fruit flavour. The palate is crisp, attractive, and easy drinking with lots of tropical and orchard fruit flavours.

The 2010 Craggy Range Te Muna Road Vineyard ($32.90) is sourced exclusively from several parcels of vines growing on the stony, limestone influenced soil of Craggy Range’s Te Muna Road vineyard in Martinborough.  Showcasing a bright pale straw colour with superb perfumed aromas of ripe gooseberry, tropical fruit and passion fruit, the flavours are indicative of this powerful varietal– ripe gooseberry overlaid with passion fruit, hints of unripe peach, tart kiwi and a crisp, clean finish.  A wine of perfect balance, elegance and power.  A top example of the variety.

One of the best value white wines on the market, the 2011 Mission Hill Five Vineyards ($14.60) is done in the New Zealand style, overflowing with aromas of crisp green apple, grapefruit, pear, kiwi, gooseberry, passion fruit and white peach. Bone-dry with refreshing acidity, the palate mirrors the aromas with beautifully balanced texture and concentration. Always a tasty Sauv Blanc, we should expect nothing less from New Zealand winemaker John Simes.