Story by Dave Eckert
I love this time of year. Sustained warmer weather is right around the corner and that means two things to me – lighter, fresher fare on the dinner table, and an ocean of delicious white wines to accompany it. With that in mind, I thought I’d offer some suggestions on some spring and summertime whites to brighten you deck, dinner table, and mood!
First among my wine choices in warmer climes are Sauvignon Blancs. They are the definition of freshness, perfect for pairing with seafood and veggies on the grill or simply for sipping on the back deck. There are so many different styles of Sauvignon Blancs: the lean and mineral-loaded offerings of France’s Loire Valley; full-bodied, grapefruit-infused wines from Marlborough, New Zealand; light and delicate versions from Chile’s cool Pacific Coast; and Sauvignons with just a hint of sweetness from California.
Today, I’ll concentrate on California and Chile. First, Chile, a country I’ve visited multiple times while filming my television show, Culinary Travels with Dave Eckert. No country, in my opinion, has improved its Sauvignon Blanc production more than Chile.
Photo courtesy of Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc, River Ranches Vineyard
Many of my favorite Chilean Sauvignon Blancs come from the Casablanca Valley, about 60 miles northwest of the capitol of Santiago. Known for cooler climate grapes, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay on the white side and Pinot Noir on the red, the grapes thrive in the cooler temperatures brought by the valley’s proximity to the Pacific. One Casablanca Valley Sauvignon Blanc, I recently discovered comes from Matetic. Its EQ Coastal Sauvignon Blanc is a classic Casablanca bottling – soft and fruity with notes of citrus and tropical fruit buttressed by palate cleansing acidity. This wine is a definite crowd pleaser.
Even closer to the Pacific is the Leyda Valley, a sub-region of the San Antonio Valley. I’ve only been in the Leyda Valley once – a cloudy, raw morning during which the vineyards seemed to be shivering as much as I was. But what I’ve had in the glass from Leyda confirms that this is near perfect territory for Sauvignon Blanc – bone dry wines with nuanced fruit and bracing acidity. The Santa Carolina Reserve Sauvignon Blanc from The Leyda Valley is one such wine. I’ve long appreciated Santa Carolina’s red wines for their consistency and value, but if they keep making whites like this Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, I will have a new and exciting reason to seek out their white wines as well.
Last, I’d like to recommend a new Chilean Sauvignon Blanc for me, the 1865 from Vina San Pedro. Made with grapes from San Pedro’s best vineyards in the Leyda Valley, this is a complex and balanced wine with delicate aromas and flavors and a long and persistent finish.
In California, let me offer five Sauvignon Blanc suggestions: two from Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley, one from the Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma, and two more from the famed Napa Valley. From the Russian River, an appellation becoming increasingly known for its Pinot Noir production, come the Balletto Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc and the Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc. Both wines offer gobs of tropical fruit with great acidity. The Balletto has a bit more complexity to my palate, but the Geyser Peak goes down awfully easily.
A bit farther north you will find Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley. Dry Creek Vineyard has long been one of my favorite New World Sauvignon Blanc producers. The winery’s latest bottling did not disappoint with tons of rich, ripe fruit.
Meantime, in Napa Valley, a region whose reputation is forged on big, bold Cabernet Sauvignons, I was pleasantly surprised by the crisp and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc from Rutherford Ranch and Charles Krug. Both wines were fermented in stainless steel tanks for maximizing the grapes’ freshness and aromatics. Bright and crisp, these two Sauvignon Blancs are the perfect wines to wake up your taste buds to the weeks and months of warm weather wine drinking ahead! Cheers!
