Bakersfield Life

Sip of the season

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  There are some wines that go with a particular time of year, and sauvignon blanc is a perfect wine for the spring and summer. This varietal is made in many different styles, but all share a solid backbone of acidity and freshness that are versatile with a large range of foods. It is also easy to drink on its own as an aperitif.

  As with some other wines, there has been some confusion when reading the label. In California, Robert Mondavi originally produced and promoted this wine as fume blanc. Some of you may remember the frosted bottle that held this wine. Fume blanc is sauvignon blanc. Now most California producers label it as such, but some still call it fume blanc.

  Now grown around the world,  sauvignon blanc was originally from France, and the French continue to make fantastic sauvignon blanc. It is labeled Pouilly Fume, or Sancerre, which both come from the Loire valley in northern France. It is also grown in Bordeaux, and is a component of Sauternes, a sweet after-dinner wine. There are also some excellent wines being produced in New Zealand and South Africa. While the New Zealand wines are readily available, you have to look a little harder for those imported from South Africa. Both are worth trying.

   One of the good points about this wine is that many producers, both foreign and domestic, have this wine priced at less than $20 per bottle. The California wines are usually easy to find at the store, but you may have to look through the imported wine shelves to pick out the sauvignon blanc from overseas. I would recommend that you try a few different bottles to find the style that suits your taste. As a rule, the wines from cooler, coastal growing areas tend to have more herbaceous, “grassy” and citrus notes to it. Those grown in warmer areas, such as Napa Valley, have more fruity, melon and citrus characteristics. The wine is also made in different ways around the world: Some producers ferment the wine in stainless steel and do not age it in oak. Some do the opposite and ferment in oak barrels and age the wine in oak or sur lie (on the dead yeast cells after fermentation), which adds to the complexity of the wine.

    When it comes to food, this wine is very versatile. It is a natural partner with seafood, can be served with dishes that contain herbs such as cilantro, rosemary, thyme, or accompany a salad with a light dressing (a perfect warm weather meal). Try this wine with several dishes; the fun is in the discovery of what pairings suit you best. I can recommend wines from New Zealand produced by Kim Crawford. For California producers, look for wines by Morgan, Ferrari-Carano, Gainey and Dry Creek. On the higher end of the price spectrum, wines made by Duckhorn, Rochioli and Araujo are also good choices. The next time you are in the wine section, go past the chardonnay and pick up a few bottles of this delightful wine. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.