The Rocky Mountain Coral geraniums have been planted in containers around the front door to our condo (take that, vile mole creature!) lavender plants were installed because they are supposed to require little care and last a decade, the exterior foundation was duly sprinkled with some weird dust to kill ants at 40 paces, so we are now left with pondering the appropriate white wine to cool us down.Immediately, Sauvignon Blanc comes to mind. SBs from New Zealand and Chile are better than those from California and have better price points for the quality. That is, assuming that you like your SB to be crispy rather than peachy, tangy rather than syrupy. If the notion of a citrus tangy finish puts you off, stick with the California varietal.
We tasted two very nice SBs recently: Drylands from New Zealand and Cono Sur from Chile. The former is priced at around US $15 and is just as crispy and refreshing as the more expensive Kim Crawford SB that we found so enjoyable last year. But the Cono Sur is really a find. Priced at under US $10, this is a great wine for a Summer aperitif and would also pair well with unsauced fish or chicken. It is a bit more complex and softer than the Drylands.
SBs are a good alternative to Chards. Remember, when you order a Chard you are in grave danger of getting "wine on a plank" because less expensive Chards tend to be over-oaked. If you like your wine woody, you will not mind it, but consider inquiring if the Chard was oaked in French barrels rather than American, because French oak is more subtle than American oak. If you want to play it even safer, you can find an unoaked Chard (the Kim Crawford version is excellent) that will still bring forth the varietal's buttery tones but without the wood. When in doubt, tell the wine steward to bring you a taste of both before you buy that glass or bottle to go with that special dinner under the Summer sky (preferably near some water, as in Lake Michigan, as in Leland, Michigan, but more to come on that later).
Thanks for blogging with me thus far.
We tasted two very nice SBs recently: Drylands from New Zealand and Cono Sur from Chile. The former is priced at around US $15 and is just as crispy and refreshing as the more expensive Kim Crawford SB that we found so enjoyable last year. But the Cono Sur is really a find. Priced at under US $10, this is a great wine for a Summer aperitif and would also pair well with unsauced fish or chicken. It is a bit more complex and softer than the Drylands.
SBs are a good alternative to Chards. Remember, when you order a Chard you are in grave danger of getting "wine on a plank" because less expensive Chards tend to be over-oaked. If you like your wine woody, you will not mind it, but consider inquiring if the Chard was oaked in French barrels rather than American, because French oak is more subtle than American oak. If you want to play it even safer, you can find an unoaked Chard (the Kim Crawford version is excellent) that will still bring forth the varietal's buttery tones but without the wood. When in doubt, tell the wine steward to bring you a taste of both before you buy that glass or bottle to go with that special dinner under the Summer sky (preferably near some water, as in Lake Michigan, as in Leland, Michigan, but more to come on that later).
Thanks for blogging with me thus far.
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