Sauvignon Blanc

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Full Story: Celebrating Southern Style: Chilean Sauvignon Blanc - Wall Street Journal (blog)

Sunday Times GoodTimes invites you to join us at The Restaurant, @ The Hills, renowned for its breathtaking views, contemporary design on Thursday, April 22.

Famous for its award-winning wines and its spectacular views, Durbanville Hills Winery stands proud in the Durbanville wine area a mere 20 minutes from Cape Town’s CBD.

Located on the slopes of the Tygerberg from where it overlooks Table Bay and Robben Island with Table Mountain providing a majestic backdrop.

Full Story: Dinner at the Durbanville Hills Winery - Times LIVE (blog)

Chile can boast 24 red and 22 white grapes currently planted. With climates ranging from virtual desert in the north to rainy, almost polar conditions in the very south, topography from the shores of the Pacific Ocean to the slopes of the Andes Mountains and an endless variety of soils, the range becomes kaleidoscopic. Add to this the vision and dynamism of the producers, with most estates being in private hands, and it becomes easy to see why Chile is among the most exciting countries of the New World. And there is a move towards quality wines.

There is a diversity of soils, microclimates and grape varieties. Chile has thrown off the mantle of Merlot to plant just about every varietal available, planted in any type of soil in any type of climate. The challenge is to find the combination of soil, climate and grape variety to produce world class wine.

Chile is a haven for sustainable farming. The low rainfall occurs entirely during the winter months and accumulates as snow in the mountains, which provides the water for irrigation in the summer. As a result, there is no oidium, no mildew and no fungal diseases. There is also no phylloxera, although many vineyards are planned with resistant stocks. The median day temperatures during the ripening season are cooler than Tuscany’s and warmer than Pauillac. And the virtually guaranteed dry conditions during what can be extended to a long harvest allow the grapes to be picked at perfect ripeness. Such healthy growing conditions have allowed Chile to see an increase in organic and biodynamic production, a very strong card that is far from its full potential. The country is also less at risk from global warming. If it becomes warmer, vineyards can be created in the cooler southern regions.

Full Story: Wines: Strong future for Chile - Cyprus Mail

As we head closer to hot summer days, I start thinking of crisp white wines, and what comes to mind is one of my favorites — New Zealand sauvignon blanc.

New Zealand, once known just for its sauvignon blanc, produces many other quality varietals. These wines are very affordable.

There are 10 major wine-growing regions in New Zealand.

Full Story: Briley: Tasty New Zealand varietals - Ventura County Star

Of the 75 wines I sampled over three hours, my favorite white was Shinn ’s 2009 Coalescence (a bargain at $15), a vivacious blend of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, merlot (processed as a white wine) and riesling. Raphael ’s food-friendly 2008 First Label sauvignon blanc ($21.99) was close behind, followed by Bedell ’s complex 2007 Taste White ($30), a blend of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, viognier and gewürztraminer .

Other standout whites included the peachlike 2008 Grapes of Roth riesling ($22) and three chardonnays: Roanoke ’s generous 2008 version ($18), Sherwood House ’s pearlike 2007 ($15) and Castello di Borghese ’s ingratiating 2007 ($16.99).

Roanoke’s 2007 Marco Tulio ($24), a bountiful blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot, was my favorite red. Bedell’s flavorsome 2007 estate merlot ($25) came in second, followed by Bedell ’s nuanced 2007 Taste Red ($35), a mélange of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and syrah.

Full Story: The East End Comes West - New York Times