Anthony Gismondi: Sauvignon Blanc is popular among new wine drinkers

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This week we take a quick look at Sauvignon Blanc, a grape becoming popular among new wine drinkers attracted to its green fruit and herbaceous flavours. It grows in several countries worldwide, and the current style is as varied as the growers who produce the wine.

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The name “Sauvignon” comes from the French for sauvage, meaning wild, referring to its propensity to look like a wild grapevine. Also, from the stranger than fiction department, Sauvignon Blanc has been identified as one of the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon, the other being Cabernet Franc.

When you first taste Sauvignon Blanc the pungent nose and upfront barrage of aromas seem almost overpowering. The passion fruit, the fresh-cut grass, the peas, asparagus and perhaps the most common aroma, grapefruit, but how it all comes together separates the average from the best.

When you research the homes of Sauvignon Blanc, it begins in France’s Loire Valley, the home of Sancerre, Pouilly-Fume, Reuilly, Menetou-Salon, Quincy and Touraine. In Bordeaux, 100 per cent Sauvignon Blanc is rare, but a blend with Semillon is more common, and the combination can be highly appealing.

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New Zealand owns most of the Sauvignon Blanc market with countless cool-climate Marlborough labels full of citrus and grapefruit. However, much of the best Chilean Sauvignon Blanc grows in Aconcagua, including Casablanca, San Antonio, and the Leyda Valleys. You’ll also find some intriguing stuff from the Colchagua Valley to the far north in Elqui Valley.

South Africa has a knack for Sauvignon Blanc, but it gets pretty short shrift in North America, where style and history often trump substance when it comes to wine. In addition, moderate pricing has held these wines back because their profit margin is usually considered too low by restaurants and high-end retailers. Nevertheless, moderately priced, high-quality Sauvignon can readily be found in South Africa and Chile.

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California has very few dry Sauvignon Blanc to share with the world. But, unfortunately, the very best are expensive, which brings us to British Columbia, where the rise of Sauvignon Blanc has been somewhat magical over the past decade.

The first notion of local Sauvignon being special began with White Meritage blends featuring Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon in mixed percentages. Having grown up tasting many Bordeaux whites, it was illuminating to see we weren’t all that far off from the revered Bordeaux Blanc.

Early on, bright lights included Black Hills Alibi, Howling Bluff Summa Quies, Mission Hill S.L.C. and Sumac Ridge White Meritage.

The latest list would consist of Black Hills Alibi, Clos du Soleil Estate Reserve, Clos du Soleil Capella, Lock and Worth, Mission Hill Terroir Collection Jagged Rock, Mission Hill Reserve Meritage White, Nk’Mip Cellars Mer’r’iym White Meritage and Tightrope Winery.

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Solo varietal Sauvignon Blanc has upped its game locally with compelling labels tasted from Bartier Bros., Blasted Church, Blue Mountain, Boutinot Project B, Canyon View, CedarCreek Platinum Border Vista, Chronos Da Silva Fumé Blanc, Emandare, French Door, Haywire Free Form, Le Vieux Pin, Little Engine Silver, Mission Hill Reserve, Stag’s Hollow and Township 7 Reserve Blue Terrace Vineyard.

Locals have another compelling reason to explore homegrown Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a fabulous food wine starting with any herb-derived sauce you can serve with chicken, tofu or fish dishes. Steamed clams or mussels are an unparalleled match, as are oysters, and all are relatively plentiful in our backyard. Fresh goat cheese has always been a fine match, but you can add ricotta and feta to that list too. The green theme also works with a dill and cucumber salad, asparagus risotto, or a Greek pasta salad. Finally, don’t forget the green peas, arugula, tomatoes, leeks and artichokes.

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Finally, Sauvignon Blanc can tolerate various herbs and spices, from mint, dill and cilantro to rosemary, basil, thyme, pesto garlic and green olive tapenade. So with the weather warming up, the only question is, what are you waiting for — chill that Sauvignon Blanc and get the weekend started.

Weekend wine picks

Viña Chocalán Sauvignon Blanc Reserva 2021, Valle del Maipo, Region del Valle Central, Chile 

$18.99 I 88/100

UPC: 7804603661223

The price alone sets the wine off in the right direction. Maipo Valley is the home of this clean, bright, correctly made Sauvignon fermented in stainless steel. The finished wine sits on its lees until bottling, where it gains a little extra texture and weight. Instead, expect a grassy citrus grapefruit nose and palate with lemon peel and passion fruit bits on the palate. Prawns, fresh goat cheese or a pasta vegetable dish all work here. Good value.

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Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2021, Marlborough, New Zealand 

$25.99 I 89/100

UPC: 9421008350033

Spy Valley is a family owned 400 acre winery that sits on the sunny southern side of Marlborough’s Wairau Valley. The fruit is picked early in the morning, processed in small batches, and fermented primarily in stainless steel. Much crisper than last year, with floral, grapefruit, white peach, intense passion fruit, sweet lime and nectarine with a mineral finish. Mussels, anyone?

French Door Sauvignon Blanc 2021, Okanagan Valley 

$30 I 90/100

UPC: 696852078467

French Door Sauvignon Blanc comes out of Oliver in the southern Okanagan Valley. The latest edition features more picks, less oak and a lesser amount of acid-flattening malolactic fermentation. The fruit is hand-harvested over three different picking dates, balancing the green and ripe fruit flavours to perfection. When picked, the grapes are pressed directly into a 50/50 mix of stainless steel and neutral French oak barrels, searching for balance. As a result, the complexity gets a hand from three different yeasts. At the same time, only half of the juice goes through malolactic fermentation — a balancing act to stay fresh yet be rich enough to entice the palate. The result is a terrific bottle of Sauvignon Blanc with ripe weighty grapefruit notes held in-line by a beautiful green guava undercurrent. It was made for the rich dishes of summer, grilled salmon, quail or mushroom pasta.

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Mission Hill Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2021, Okanagan Valley

$24.99 I 89/100

UPC: 776545995209

Chief winemaker Corrie Kreibehl called the 2021 growing season one of the most challenging in their 40-year history. Extreme heat and climate conditions brought highly concentrated berries but reduced yields, leaving a high-quality vintage with wines available in minimal quantities. Two-thousand-and-twenty-one is also the first vintage of Mission Hill’s Legacy, Terroir and the Reserve wines were produced organically and certified through Ecocert, the world’s leading certifier of sustainable practices. The Reserve Sauvignon Blanc has been a consistent performer at Mission Hill. In 2021 the attack is fresh and vibrant, the palate awash in crisp citrus and lemon grass notes with bits of grapefruit and gooseberry in the finish. It’s a complex offering at a modest price. Notably, 21 per cent of the wine spends time in French oak barrels, stainless barrels, foudres and concrete eggs before mixing with its stainless-steel-fermented counterpart.

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Domaine Vacheron Sancerre 2020, Sancerre, Loire, France 

$47.99 I 91/100

UPC: 3458965723910

Domaine Vacheron Sancerre is a biodynamic Sauvignon Blanc grown over calcareous, flint soils. The nose is an intoxicating mix of white and yellow flowers. The palate is light and lively, with green fruit, mineral, chalky notes and a fine thread of complexing lees. A big-time winner with aging possibilities, long, electric and persistent. Perfect for adorned seafood dishes.

Cooked up by Jenny Hui, executive chef of The Lazy Gourmet, this fresh dish sees cod fish given a boost thanks to a homemade chili oil. Fresh cherry tomatoes add a burst of flavour to the dish. Pair it with a green spring salad and a crusty baguette for a delicious meal.

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Poached Cod with Cherry Tomatoes and Chili Oil

Chili oil

1/2 cup (125 mL) canola oil

4 tbsp (60 mL) chili flakes

1 piece Thai red chili, minced

1/2 tbsp (7.5 mL) soy sauce

Place chili flakes into an 8-oz glass Mason jar. Add 2 tsp of water and mix. Set aside for a few minutes to allow the chili flakes to hydrate.

Add the minced Thai red chili into the chili flakes and mix. Set aside. Place canola oil in small sauce pan. Heat over medium heat until hot. Immediately, pour into the jar with the chili flakes. Be careful, oil will sizzle and splash around. Mix in soy sauce. Allow to cool. Oil can be stored in fridge for about a couple of weeks.

Cod

3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1 tsp (5 mL) sugar

1 basket cherry tomatoes

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1 cup (250 mL) white wine

4 x 5 oz (142 g/each) cod fillets

2 tbsp (30 mL) Italian parsley, chopped

Place sauté pan that has a lid on the stove over medium to high heat. No need to cover at this time. Add 3 tbsp olive oil, heat for 1 minute. Add shallot and saute until tender. Add garlic and saute, about 1 minute. Sprinkle sugar over the shallot and garlic mixture and saute for 1 minute. Add in 2 tsp of chili oil or desired amount of spice. Add all the cherry tomatoes at once. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir until tomatoes blister, about 5 minutes. Then using your spoon, gently mash or crush the tomatoes. Add in white wine. Stir and scape off the bottom of the pan. Add in 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Taste and season again.

Season a piece of cod on both sides. Then, gently place the cod into the broth. Repeat with the other three pieces. Cover with lid, and cook for about 4-5 minutes or longer depending on the thickness of the fish.

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To serve, remove cod and place on platter. Mix in parsley and spoon tomato mixture over each piece of cod. Drizzle chili oil over it. Serve with grilled lemon wedges and crispy onion if desired.

Serves four.

Recipe match

Cod and cherry tomatoes with chili oil will only get better with a crisp, white wine like albariño, Sauvignon Blanc or picpoul.

Ormarine Picpoul de Pinet Les Pins De Camille 2019, Languedoc, France, $18.99

Bright peach, pear, greengage and lemon verbena walk a taut leesy palate, perfect for slicing into this rich fish dish.

Hester Creek Old Vines Block 16 Trebbiano 2021, Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, $23.99

Green apples, sweet melon, tangerine and sharper nectarine notes present dry, and would suit a spicy cod tomato dish.