As opposed to many other wine grapes which were bred specifically for making wine, Sauvignon Blanc is a native strain originally discovered growing wild in Southwest France. The wine produced from it is crisp, dry, and refreshing. It is bottled both as a varietal and blended with
dessert wines , most notably Sauternes.
Sauvignon Blanc is cultivated in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, California, and South America, as well as its native France in the Loire Valley and Bordeaux Regions. The vine does particularly well in warm, sunny climates, since it buds late and ripens early. It also fares decently in slightly cooler climates, making it an all-around hardy plant. Sauvignon Blanc is actually harvested at different intervals for various purposes; the early harvest gives grapes with a high acid content, while the later harvest has a better balance of sugars and has a faint pepper taste. Various other differences in winemaking technique, such as allowing contact with the must or fermenting at different temperatures, produce different, but equally pleasurable, results.
Sauvignon Blanc has been gaining more popularity lately as an alternative to the omnipresent
Chardonnay and
Riesling . One aspect of its character, however, is that it does not benefit from aging, making it a wine to be consumed young. In dining,
Sauvignon Blanc makes a good match for light, delicate food tastes. It is particularly well-suited to fish and cheese, and is one of the few wines to go with sushi.
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