Description/Pairing: Whitehaven: Gooseberry, stone fruit, lemon, grass, crisp, round long finish. Vistamar: Pineapple, lime, grass, salty, very clean and refreshing. Sauvignon Blanc wines are great with Thai food, chicken, fish, sushi, salad and goat cheese.

Fun Fact: Robert Mondavi started promoting Sauvignon Blanc in California as Fume Blanc in 1968. Sancerre and Pouilly Fume wines in France are also Sauvignon Blanc.

More Info: For Sauvignon Blanc, as with many wines, there are notable aroma and taste differences between countries, and even within the same country. As in the tasting notes above, New Zealand wines tend to be more assertive in the aromas and flavors of gooseberry and tropical fruits, yet still with very refreshing acidity. Additionally, some New Zealand winemakers add just a hint of residual sugar, adding to the body and roundness of the wine.

Chilean Sauvignon Blanc tends to be more restrained and herbaceous but also with very refreshing acidity. In Chile the Humboldt Current flows up from Antarctica, bringing cold Pacific Ocean breezes inland. These breezes can lower the hot Chilean temperatures by as much as 18 degrees F. These ocean breezes add a very distinct saltiness to the Sauvignon Blanc flavors for those vineyards near the coast. If you’re looking for a less assertive, very refreshing white wine, try a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, particularly from the Casablanca or San Antonio Valleys, near the cool ocean. Chilean wines also can be found at excellent price points for your every day go-to whites.