Fosters.com, JoAnn Actis-Grande - May 3, 2018

"Tomorrow, May 4, is International Sauvignon Blanc Day! Sauvignon Blanc is a white wine grape produced all over the world and rising in popularity as more and more wine lovers enjoy wines that are lower in alcohol and easy to drink.

The Sauvignon Blanc grape prefers living in cooler climates where they bud late, but ripen faster than other grapes. The wine is usually dry, always refreshing, and produces a variety of styles, textures, and flavors - depending on where it’s grown. The majority of Sauvignon Blanc comes from France, in the famous Bordeaux and Loire Valley. Lately California and New Zealand have been taking the lead in planting new vineyards. Other popular regions are Italy, Chile and South Africa.

In Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc is a fresh, light and elegant wine. Here, the grape is often blended with Semillon, another French white wine grape, producing outstanding Sauternes – one of the finest sweet wines in the world. The Loire, especially in the center of the valley, is where the Sauvignon grape originated and shows some of its best qualities with Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. The area’s limestone, clay and flint soil conditions add a unique taste to the wine.

California’s Sauvignon Blanc stands out with many of their grapes growing in warmer parts of the state, especially in the Napa Valley. Fortunately, the fog and high temperature fluctuations cool down the vineyards enough to sustain the vines. The wines tend to have a herbaceous and often grassy quality.

In New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc is the most widely planted grape. The first vines were planted in the early ’70s in the Marlborough region. In just a short time, with its vibrant fruit flavors and high acid levels, the wine became a number one seller for the country and put New Zealand on the map as a world-class growing region. Over in Italy, Sauvignon Blanc shines in the Northeastern part of the country in Friuli, Alto Adige and Collio. The Sauvignon Blanc wines from these areas display excellent fruit and varietal characteristics.

Sauvignon has distinctive aromas of grapefruit, gooseberries and herbs. The flavors of passion fruit, melon, guava, and white peach, along with great acidity and minerality make Sauvignon Blanc the ideal choice to pair with creamy cheeses, salads, shellfish, poultry, and it’s the perfect porch wine."

Mt. Beautiful's 2016 Sauvignon Blancc was one of four Sauv Blancx featured in this article!