By Rick Riozza
Those of us throwing in a prayer for cooler weather, as we clink our wineglasses and toast to good times, aren’t seeing any results yet—but the Lord continues to bless us with vineyards that are producing some very cool, crisp and refreshing wine.
Apart from a snappy bubbly, the undisputed staple wine and the summertime favorite of Palm Springs is the beautifully clear light green tinted eyes of Sauvignon Blanc—or something like that.
Anyway—this white grape produces all that matters to our lunches, summer parties, and light dinner fare. Yes—we tip our tennis and golf visors & caps to France where we find the original wine from Bordeaux and the Loire Valley, but we’re here in hot haven and need this thirst quencher more than ever.
Indeed, doesn’t the new Global Warming Flag picture a chilled bottle of Sauv Blanc in the middle of a bunch of grumpy old men?
Because it’s so hot out, we can handle the gripping bracing Sauvignon Blancs that get us going. Not that we necessarily want to be going places, but refreshing Sauv Blanc charges up the brain cells so we can at least be aware of the fact that maybe we’re just mailing it in—but still enjoying life.
All the good Sauv Blanc tends to be very fresh and crisp with wonderfully varied fruit flavors such as: lemon, lime, grapefruit, gooseberries, figs, green apples, melon, nectarines, peaches, passion fruit, guava—even kiwi fruit—yeah!
With naturally high acidity, Sauvignon Blanc is always tangy, tart, nervy, racy, or punchy, keeping it from being cloying and sticky-tasting. And it’s got great minerality notes of stones, steel, and slate—in a good way!
These elements combine to produce a wonderfully refreshing wine with an affinity for food, particularly those we love in the warm summer months: crudités, salads, light pastas, seafood and the riches that come from the bounty of our garden—or the localfarmers’ market.
The wine is very versatile and can handle components such as tomatoes, bell peppers, cilantro, raw garlic, smoked cheeses or other pungent flavors that would clash with or overpower many Chardonnays and a lot of other dry whites. In fact, Sauvignon Blanc is probably the best choice for dry white wine to accompany the greatest variety of foods
…And now, on to our wine reviews!
Like metal filings to a magnet, I can’t seem to drive by the hefty Total Wine & More store, off Hwy 111 in Palm Desert, without my car veering towards that mega-beverage market. The place is so huge; I think it has its own pull-gravity which may also explain why I’m heading there right now.
Actually I had spoken to Jamie earlier and she had three great summer picks for me. And when I arrived, Tom had them chilling up and joined me for the tasting. What great service!
Our first Sauvignon Blanc—perhaps out of respect for the Loire Valley, was a wonderfully light Sancerre. The 2012 SalmonVieilles Vignes (old vines) is quite juicy considering the limestone hills that this grape grows on which generally provide very fine but complex wine—very dry, very French. But this wine, although crisp, is a touch more new–world in style—easy on the palate, lingering of lemon and lime.
My favorite wine tones wafting here are soft briny whiffs of the sea shore. It’s a Sancerre after all and these type of complexities often show. A lasting finish of candied lemon make it a summer’s treat for around $16.
We next came home to a Napa Valley Sauv Blanc. The 2012 Courtney Benham reeks Napa as it is an elegant, medium-bodied quaffer, inviting tropical aromas of light floral and green melon and carrying green applewith a touch of peach & pear.
Courtney Benham is a well-known winemaker and we continue to enjoy the integrity of his craft. This white wine shines and at $11.99 a bottle, it’s the deal of the hot—hot day.
For the finale of the tasting trio, we went down-under to find the 2012 Framingham Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. By this time, the wine tasting crowd had formed around the rotund Total Wine wine-bar for the 4pm Friday tasting, so everyone was poised to shed the heat.
This Framingham is fun and an absolute delight! If one were to comment on lounging apparel while enjoying the above trio of Sauvignon Blanc, I’d say we’re wearing a Polo Shirt with the Salmon Sancerre, a cool button-down short sleeve with the Courtney Benham, and definitely a Hawaiian or beachcomer-type opened shirt for the Framingham.
With aromas full of gooseberry and lime, the palate rushed in with…ready?—with garden-fresh Mexican chile peppers along with a flavor note of crisp green bell-pepper! It was like we were plopped atop a cool dish of pico de gallo or salsa fresca! No wonder the crowd either loved it or shunned it. New Zealand Sauv Blanc wine consistently brings that racy zesty pop! to the party. With all that going on, it’s a pleasure at $16.99.
And the party continues as the wine’s finish lingers with juicy acidity hinting around passion-fruit, lemon zest and a little grapefruit. Thirsty Diane?
Totally won over atTotal Wine & More, 72339 Hwy 111 Palm Desert. 760.346.2029.
Rick is the desert’s sommelier-about-town entertaining at wine events & tastings. Contact winespectrum@aol.com
