Great Wine Source Wine Blog

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Posts Tagged Sauvignon Blanc

Wine of the Day – Parellada

Jan 28

Posted by greatWineSource in Spain, Whites, Wine of the Day | Comments off

Wine of the Day for January 28, 2010

Parellada

Origin

Grown in the Catalonia region of Spain, this white grape is one of three traditional varieties used to make Cava. This grape has limited growth potential and grows better in poor soil.

Parellada grape

Style

Parellada produces very small, tight-bunched grapes of good structure and aroma, however, because it is not a wine that will age well, it is more frequently used in blends, as mentioned above to produce Cava, but also blended with heartier grapes Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc to produce wines that will withstand a bit of cellaring.

Characteristics

As a still wine, you will notice an abundance of acidity and floral aromas. It is considered a main grape in the following DOs: Conca de Barberá, Costers del Segre, Penedés, and Tarragona. You can read the Cava blog for a bit more information on how it changes that sparkler.

Pairings

Pair the still wines with lighter fare such as salmon and light salads.

This wine is also known in Catalonia as Montonec meaning “grape of the mountain”.

Cheers to full glasses all around!

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Wine of the Day – Verdejo

Jan 27

Posted by greatWineSource in Spain, Whites, Wine of the Day | Comments off

Wine of the Day for January 27, 2010

Verdejo

Verdejo grape

Origin

Verdejo is a native grape of Rueda in Northwest Spain and is debated to have originated in North Africa and spread to Rueda in the 11th century. This grape was relatively unknown for hundreds of years until it resurfaced and became more respected around 1970.

Style

This white grape has historically been used to make a dry Sherry wine, but in the 1980s, this wine was given the DO classification (Designation of Origin). Therefore, wines classified as Rueda must contain at least 50% Verdejo, and wines classified as Rueda Verdejo must contain at least 85% Verdejo.

Characteristics

Verdejo produces a wine that is soft, aromatic and full-bodied, reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc. You will enjoy a crispness to this wine with hints of nuts and honey. It is considered very high quality and one of the best white varieties in Spain.

Pairing

This high quality and food friendly wine will pair well with grilled salmon, seared scallops, lemon chicken or a fresh summer salad.

Interesting little fact about this wine … it is generally harvested at night. This wine can oxidize easily and so harvesting at night means the grapes enter the cellar at a lower temperature and lower temperatures mean less oxidation or browning of the juice.

Cheers to full glasses all around!

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Wine of the Day – Friulano

Jan 23

Posted by greatWineSource in Italy, Whites, Wine of the Day | Comments off

Wine of the Day for January 23, 2010

Tocai Friulano

In my wine club this month, I received a wine called Misti Bianco, a blend of Tocai Friulano, Pinot Grigio and Arneis, all white grapes from northern Italy. So, in the spirit of Italian week, I thought I’d continue the theme with a bit of information about Tocai Friulano.

Tocai Friulano grape

Origin

Tocai Friulano, originates in the Friuli region of Italy and is now called simply Friulano inside the European Union. To avoid confusion with the Hungarian dessert wine, Tokaji, Italian exports must now remove the Tocai from its labels. This grape is also known as Sauvignon Vert out of Chile.

Style

Tocai Friulano is a white grape producing wines similar to Sauvignon Blanc and has been confused with Sauvignon Blanc because of similar leaves and clusters of the vines and its susceptibleness to noble rot. However, where is more aromatic with strong herbal notes, Tocai Friulano is softer, with more floral flavors.

Characteristics

You will find this wine with the color of straw, aromas an flavors of almond, apples, nuts, sweet herbs. It has soft acidity with medium body and balanced flavors.

Pairing

Enjoy with lighter foods such as braised vegetables, fish, antipasto, brie or havarti cheese.

I have a Bunco game at my house tonight and will be sharing the Misti Bianco. I’ll let you know tomorrow how it goes.

Cheers to full glasses all around!

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Wine of the Day – Sauvignon Blanc

Jan 15

Posted by greatWineSource in California, France, Whites, Wine of the Day | Comments off

Wine of the Day for January 15, 2010

Sauvignon Blanc

White Chicken Chili — that’s what I made for lunch today. At my full-time job at Alternative Solutions in Sheboygan, we had “soup week” where each day someone brought in a different soup. Today, a co-worker and I brought in Chili: she brought in red chili and I brought in White Chicken Chili. So, as I was making it and putting the ingredients together, I was thinking of what wines would pair well with it (I happen to have a few bottles in my overhead bin at work).

Sauvignon Blanc grapesWell, Chenin Blanc will actually pair nicely with White Chicken Chili, and so will a nice light Sauvignon Blanc. Read on for more info on this elegant and adaptable grape and follow through to the end to see what wine will pair well with your red Chilis.

Sauvignon Blanc is an earthy wine, commonly generating aromas of grass, and as mentioned in previous blogs, is used as a blending wine with Sémillon to create a Meritage or Sauterne wine.

Sauvignon Blanc originated in Bordeaux and its name refers to “savage white”, so when you drink a Sauvignon Blanc, you can picture yourself as enjoying a wild white wine, which is one of the reasons I’m going to enjoy it with the White Chicken Chili. Researchers have recently discovered, and this is amazing to me, that Sauvignon Blanc – a white grape – is a parent grape along with Cabernet Franc to Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wines from this widely-planted grape should be fresh and crisp, with grassy aromas and citrus flavors. Other foods you can pair with this bright wine are shellfish, summer salads, Havarti cheese and I like it with green olives.

Alternative Solutions is a fantastic company, developing software solutions for small to medium property and casualty insurance companies. They are so supportive of my wine business and have often had wine tastings in the office. When we have food weeks or festive lunches, we crack open a bottle of wine or beer (wine for me, thank you, even with a last name of ‘Brewer’). I will be enjoying a Sauvignon Blanc with the White Chicken Chili and those who will enjoy the red Chili could pair it with Zinfandel or Sagrantino de Montefalco. What is Sagrantino di Montefalco you ask? You’ll just have to check back on another day.

Cheers to full glasses all around!

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Wine of the Day – Sémillon

Jan 11

Posted by greatWineSource in France, Whites, Wine of the Day | 1 Comment

Wine of the Day for January 11, 2010

Sémillon

Pronounce Sémillon
SémillonI wanted to start Monday off with this beautiful golden grape and perhaps its golden beauty will warm up our winter chills (and bring sunshine to our disappointment in the Green Bay Packer loss last night).

Originating in Bordeaux, this classic varietal and beautiful grape is susceptible to noble rot and is famous for the production of the sweet wine Sauterne. Sémillon wines can be blended with Sauvignon Blanc (which may be referred to as Meritage) producing a refreshing crisp wine with citrus and hints of honey or you may find this style blended with Chardonnay (referred to as SemChard) as to produce a dry wine rich with oak, butter and honey.

You will find this varietal grown in Bordeaux, California, Australia (where it is produced into luscious dry wines). The sweeter version of this wine can age well and develop into a full-bodied, highly aromatic, silky wine.

Other aromas and flavors in addition to the honey that you may find with this wine are fig, apple and citrus. Pair the drier style with goat cheese or lighter meals such as sweet and sour, or even chilled prawns and oysters.

Have a terrific week and I hope to see you tomorrow!

Cheers to full glasses all around!

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