Reflections Of Global Sauvignon Blanc Day

Sauvignon Blanc. What can I say about this varietal except that I have an obsession with it and am beyond help! Sometimes to understand these things, one has to go back to the beginning. So we'll go back to the beginning of my wine education. I remember my first wine tasting in November of 1999. (Yes, it's true...I did not drink wine before then...Shame on me!) I was at a free, overstated holiday wine tasting, which enabled me to sample here and there. I fell in love with a bottle of 1998 Sterling Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc. So I went and bought one. And that's how my obsession started. Over the years, I've tasted hundreds of them--from the grassy, gooseberry-flavored wines of New Zealand to the peppery wines of Argentina to the citrusy, tropical wines of California to the cat's pee-flavored wines of France (apparently I have not had enough French White Bordeaux--I'm sure they don't all taste like pipi du chat...). This year in June, we admirers of Sauvignon Blanc came together in a global way to celebrate this grape varietal. We tasted and tweeted and put on events all over the world for twenty-four hours. I was a willing and excited participant!

I chose two bottles (or rather, they chose me--but I was happy to represent them out in the field as both were fine examples of high quality), the 2011 St. Supery Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc and the 2010 Gary Farrell Redwood Ranch Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc. The two wines were like night and day!

The 2011 St. Supery Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc was sassy!! Love at first sip for me! It had a personality that did not quit. Fragrant with limes and grapefruits, the wine's fleshy, tropical mid palate was juicy and lively! So vibrant!! This wine is 100% stainless steel fermented with a beautiful crisp finish. One of my favorites so far this year! After happily enjoying this bottle, I said to myself, "Now there's a wine I am going to want to keep drinking!" I made an appointment to visit them in a few weeks. I'm pretty happy! $20.

The 2010 Gary Farrell Redwood Ranch Sauvignon Blanc is a whole other animal. It is elegant, sophisticated and lovely. It has typical citrus notes but it is a bit more complex than that. There are some interesting flavors coming from this wine--unusual ones. I tasted some spice notes and a touch of vanilla. This stems from the fact that the wine actually saw some oak treatment but not so much that it takes away the acidity we love. This one is definitely a food wine--a great accompaniment for seafood, chicken, salads, cheeses... This is what happens when Sauvignon Blanc gets dressed to the nines to go out to a formal dinner. She's radiant! $25.

My Global Sauvignon Blanc celebration doesn't end here. Until next Summer when we reconvene to celebrate the day once again, I will continue to drink them on a regular basis and explore them every chance I get! I have a feeling in me, Sauvignon Blanc has found a new best friend!

For more information on St. Supery Vineyards and Winery, please visit their website, stsupery.com. They are located in Rutherford, CA. Their wines are available at their tasting room, online and through some distribution nationwide.

For more information on Gary Farrell Vineyards and Winery, please visit their website, garyfarrellwines.com. They are located in Healdsburg, CA. Their wines are also available at their tasting room, online and through some distribution nationwide.

I wish to thank Sam Folsom & Associates (trade & media contact for Gary Farrell Winery) and St. Supery Vineyards and Winery for sending me the Sauvignon Blanc samples.

"You Saw It Here First!" This post was written solely for Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk. Cellarmistress is an Italian-born, American-bred wine blogger/educator with a huge passion for wine and everything it encompasses!