Sauvignon Blanc is an increasingly popular grape variety, and the LCBO carries examples from Ontario and British Columbia, as well as countries as diverse as Chile, France, New Zealand and Australia. Look for more Ontario Sauvignon Blancs in private wine stores, too.
What makes Sauvignon Blanc a hit is its excellence as a food wine. It often delivers quite rich fruit flavours in the lemon/lime, tropical and green fruit/grassy flavour zones. And it almost always has good acidity — although, because many consumers shy away at the word "acidity," wine reviewers usually describe Sauvignon Blanc as zesty, bracing, or crisp. (Acidity is a problem only when the wine is out of balance, which a review should alert you to.)
As a general rule, Sauvignon Blanc is best drunk when it's young, so you'll usually find only recent vintages on the shelves: right now, 2004 from the Northern Hemisphere and 2005 from the Southern Hemisphere, where grapes are harvested between March and May. There are Sauvignon Blancs that are age-worthy, but most are made for drinking when they're young, while they have fresh, vibrant fruit flavours.
The fresh flavours are one reason why most Sauvignon Blanc wines are made in stainless steel tanks. There are barrel-fermented and oak-aged Sauvignon Blancs, and when the oak is carefully managed it gives texture and depth to the wine without masking the fruit. But most, by far, are fermented and aged in stainless steel.
The importance of fruit-freshness is also a reason why many Sauvignon Blancs are sealed with screwcaps, rather than natural cork. Even when natural cork doesn't taint wine, it can too often have a dulling effect on the aromas and flavours. The effect is more noticeable with fruity whites than with reds, so many producers started putting screwcaps on their Sauvignon Blancs (and Rieslings) first. Three of the four Sauvignon Blancs reviewed here today are screwcap sealed.
Sauvignon Blanc produces its best examples when it's grown in cool areas that promote acidity. The two best-known regions are the eastern end of France's Loire Valley and New Zealand's Marlborough region, and Sauvignon Blanc is also a component in white Bordeaux.
But other regions also produce stellar Sauvignon Blancs. The Niagara Peninsula is well- suited but, unfortunately, the variety is not too hardy, and many Sauvignon Blanc vines were killed or damaged during the harsh 2002-03 and 2004-05 winters.
Elsewhere, growers seek out cooler areas even in normally warm regions. In Chile, for example, fine Sauvignon Blanc is produced in such regions as Casablanca and Leyda, which are close to the cooling influences of the winds that blow in from the Pacific Ocean. Chile also produces late-harvest Sauvignon Blancs as dessert wines.
As for food pairings, the classics are oysters and goat cheese, both of which work well with the acidity and often pungent flavours of the wine. But Sauvignon Blanc pairs with a wide range of seafood and white fish, which makes it an excellent wine for appetizers — even during winter, when your main courses are more likely to call for red wine or big-bodied whites.
Four Sauvignon Blancs from four different countries today.