SAUVIGNON BLANC: 3 STYLES, 3 TASTES
The Sauvignon Blanc grape is one of the worlds great white wine grapes. When enjoying this wine, there are three major styles worth discovering, each one expressing the wine very differently:
Old World styles - mostly European
New World styles - mostly American
New Zealand Styles - Kiwi love
Other styles - White Bordeaux & Alto Adige
OLD WORLD
Sauvignon Blanc grapes are grown all over the world. One of the most classic and historic styles is the French Sancerre, a Suavignon Blanc from the Sancerre AOC (appellation d'origine contrôlée) of the Loire Valley of central France. France also offers White Bordeaux, a Sauvignon Blanc-dominant blend—we’ll discuss that as a fourth style below.
The major distinction with this style is the focus on what the earth gives to the wine… the French refer to this as terroir.
French-style Sauvignon Blancs are identifiable by their minerally or steely expressions. These wines are very dry, crisp and clean. Of the three styles they are often the most lean, and have an elegant subtlety. They are ideal wines for shellfish, especially steamed mussels, clams and oysters!
NEW WORLD
Mostly from California, these wines focus more on the fruit, and less on the Earth. They are bright, clean wines.
White wine lovers often fall into one of two camps that debate which is better: Old World, or New World? European wines are often much lighter, with more subdued profiles. And, European wines are often best sipped with food. New World styles tend to be fruitier, or more grassy, or more herbaceous, and less minerally or steely.
Another difference can be found in the California Fumé Blancs. These are Sauvignon Blanc wines aged for varying lengths of time in varying types of oak barrels. The oak tends to soften them, and create an added spicy or honeyed expression.
Fumé Blanc lovers look for honeydew melon notes in these wines. Unless the oak is heavy, these wines do well with lighter dishes, and dishes that are cream-based - think pasta with a caper-lemon cream sauce and prawns.
KIWI LOVER
“Kiwi” is a fun way to refer to the New Zealanders and New Zealand wine! When New Zealand set out to become an international force in the world of wine, they worked very hard to create brand distinction. Today when wine lovers think of New Zealand wines they mostly think Sauvignon Blanc, and next, Pinot Noir.
These wines are the most punchy and bodacious of the Sauvignon Blanc styles. Those from the Marlborough Region, on the north end of South Island across Cook Strait from Wellington, share a distinctive flavor.
Grapefruit, lemongrass, and tropical fruit like passion fruit, kiwi, mango, pineapple, are what make these wines different. Unlike their New World cousins from California, they tend to be overtly punchy, very bright, much more aromatic.
Due to the brightness and acid in NZ Sauvignon Blancs, they are considered a great fit for many Asian cuisines, especially Thai & Vietnamese dishes, where the cool clean notes of the wine counter and compliment the bright, spicy flavors of the food.
OTHER STYLES: WHITE BORDEAUX, AND ALTO ADIGE
We’ve focused on the three most classic styles, but there’s others worth discovering, including the French White Bordeaux. The Bordeaux style almost always includes Sémillon, the second major white grape of Bordeaux France. (We blogged about Sémillon here, and we reviewed a White Bordeaux here.)
Sémillon is generally blended into the Sauvignon Blanc to add layers of aromatics and juicier fruit to the wine. Using parallel comparisons, this wine could be classified as the pretty version. The Sémillon adds more stone fruit, and white blossoms. It’s generally a softer, more gentle wine.
The best way to enjoy a White Bordeaux is with a cheeseboard resplendent with assorted dryer cheeses with less of the earthy notes found in blues and Stiltons. Think fresh Asiago, Manchego, Dry Cheddar and Jack, add almonds, dried apricots, and neutral flavored crackers, you’ll have your perfect pre-dinner snack! (Check out the charcuterie board we threw together.)
Jake’s favorite style of Sauvignon Blanc is also the most expensive: an Alto Adige Sauv Blanc from Northern Italy. Not only is it rich and complex, it’s also bright, falling somewhere between a California Sauvignon Blanc and a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. We reviewed one of them here.
Here’s a fun party suggestion: Head to your favorite wine shop and select one of each style. Make sure you know the wines, or ask the wine steward for classic suggestions of these styles. Put together a tasting with friends. Finally assemble a cheese board using dry cheeses like manchego, or pecorino, add some goat cheese, Jarlsberg, and French feta... Voila - you have a fun wine tasting with little effort!
