Sauvignon Blanc
History and Origin
Like many wines, Sauvignon Blanc can trace it's origins from France, specifically the Bordeuax region and the Loire valley. The name sauvignon blanc comes from the French words for wild (sauvage) and white (blanc). Sauvignon Blanc has been around since at least the 10th century and actually created Cabernet Sauvignon together with Cabernet Franc.
Growing Conditions
In France, the grapes are grown in cooler climates while in New Zealand and America they can be grown in warmer climates. Though these two climates can both work with Sauvignon Blanc, they will result in very different wines. In any event, Sauvignon Blanc does best when grown near a water source such as a lake.
Synonyms
Most of the synonyms such as Muskatni Silvanec, Sciampagna, or Pinot Mestny Bely are in other languages. However, Robert Mondavi popularized the term Fume Blanc in the late 60s from his slightly modified way of creating it.
Color
It has a very light yellow or straw colored hue. This is one of the lightest colored whites.
Smell
The herbaceous notes can be lemon-grass, weeds, and gooseberry. The vegetal notes include green olive, bell pepper, and asparagus while the fruity smells can be described as grapefruit, melon, and lime.
Taste
This wine has a very distinctive flavor profile. It will usually contain some of these flavors; citrus fruits, pineapple, green vegetables, fig, toast, gunflint, and mineral characteristics. It usually has high acids. You will find the flavors to be more herbal, vegetal, and mineral when it is grown in cooler climates while when it is grown in warmer climates it will additionally have notes of fruit such as melon or citrus.
Good With The Following Foods
Depending on where the Sauvignon Blanc comes from will determine what type of food it pairs well with. If it is from France, it will pair well with fish and cheeses that complement the smokey flavors in the wine. If it is from America, though, it goes well with Salmon. Not very many wines can pair with sushi, this is one of them. Generally this wine works well at the beginning of the meal and can be paired with greens or spicy foods.
Serving Temperature
The best serving temperature for Sauvignon Blanc is about 45-50F. As most refrigerators run a bit cooler than this, you want to take it out about 15 minutes prior to serving. This allows the aromas to start to radiate and the flavors to really start coming out in the wine as it warms slightly.
