Grape Crush – Sauvignon blanc

Sauvignon blanc’s accessibility and balance makes it one of the world’s easiest wines to drink and pair with food. With the onset of summer, it’s a great time to deepen your relationship with this varietal. Start your evening with a glass or pair it with cheese, salads, vegetarian main courses and almost any seafood dish imaginable.

Sauvignon blanc is approachable because its profile tends to be instantly familiar, unlike red wines, which can point to things you don’t often taste, like leather, tar, smoke and more, says Dori Murvin, wine manager at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in Baton Rouge.

“It has flavors that are very identifiable,” she says. Citrus fruits like lemon and grapefruit, stone fruits like peach and apricot, and sometimes grassy or floral notes immediately emerge in the mouth.

This month, Murvin recommends three easy-to-find sauvignon blancs. Try them side-by-side at home or in a Fleming’s wine flight in the following order to experience a range of acidity and flavor.

Brander Sauvignon Blanc 2007, Santa Ynez Valley

From California’s Central Coast, this sauvignon blanc made by veteran winemaker C. Frederic “Fred” Brander, features some oak fermentation to round off the wine’s acidity, Murvin says. It’s crisp, dry and features floral notes. It works especially well with something like ahi tuna.

Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc 2007, Marlborough, New Zealand

“This is always a good crowd pleaser,” Murvin says of the popular Kim Crawford. Known for its grapefruit notes and subtle herbaceousness, this wine seems to match with practically anything, including seafood with pronounced flavors, like shellfish and oysters. Murvin says it even pairs well with asparagus, notoriously contrary when it comes to wine.

Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2006, Napa Valley

“This one is a good standard,” says Murvin, who likes Cakebread for its balance and complex flavor profile, which includes gooseberries, apples and stone fruits, particularly peach. The presence of small amounts of Sémillion softens the acidity and sauvignon musqué heightens the wine’s floral notes.