Sues Vinous Passion

Fabulous Foods for Sauvignon Blanc
© by Sue Courtney

Sauvignon Blanc and asparagus are perfect companions.

I read on a website somewhere that Sauvignon Blanc does not go with food. It was one of those sites that had no contact, no links and no attribution to an author. Needless to say I did not bookmark that site nor did I read further. This was a gross error for in my opinion, sauvignon blanc is a fabulous food accompaniment. And here in New Zealand we have plenty of the world's best examples to experiment with.

Sauvignon Blanc has such an enormous range of flavour profiles, ranging from the catty and herbaceous, to vegetal, to apple and citrus, to the classic gooseberry, to tropical passionfruit and pineapple, to fleshy stonefruits, to sensuous muskiness.

Some wines are so complex they may exhibit all of these flavour profiles, the result of picking grapes from different vineyards at different brix levels, vinifying separately then blending in the winery.

The best sauvignons have an amazing pungent, almost smoky nuance - a smokiness that comes from the grape rather than from the use of oak. Although some wineries do use oak in their unoaked styles, it is perhaps only a small proportion like 5 percent and it is usually always old oak, which adds only a textural richness to the wines. Oak-aged sauvignons exhibit similar flavour profiles to unoaked sauvignons but the primary flavours may be harder to detect depending on how obvious the layer of oak is.

Yeast adds another complexity to the wines and some wineries are experimenting with spontaneous wild yeast fermentation, lees stirring and some are even letting a portion of the wine undergo malolactic fermentation to add yet another dimension.

So with such an array of flavours to match up, almost anything goes.

It's Spring right now down under and the new season's sauvignons are pouring onto the market. And with a fresh zingy sauvignon blanc there is nothing better than fresh seasonal produce.

Here are some of my favourite ideas - all foods that I have tried or served from my own kitchen.

Freshly shucked oysters - New Zealand Bluff oysters if you can get them. I don't eat oysters myself, but my husband says this combination is just superb. The fresher and zingier the sauvignon blanc, the better the match.

Freshly dredged scallops - my first experience with scallops was during a summer spent on the Coromandel Peninsula. The scallops had been dredged from the bay just a few minutes before, removed from the shell, then waved across of hot pan of butter over an outdoor campfire. What an amazing taste. Now I can no longer enjoy frozen scallops - the flavour is just not there. Fortunately it is scallop season right now in New Zealand and the fresh shellfish is available until the season finishes in November.

For a tasty treat, saute the scallops in butter, pour over a couple of tablespoons of heated brandy and ignite, then splash in a tablespoon of coconut cream and a handful of chopped fresh sweet herbs such as parsley, chives or coriander. This is sensational with sauvignon blanc and is also excellent with viognier.

Alternatively, very lightly saute the scallops for about 15 seconds a side. Place onto a Chinese spoon, top with cheese and place under the grill until the cheese has melted.

Or try marinating the scallops in Tahitian limes, then again on a Chinese spoon, heat under the grill for serving.

Whitebait is a New Zealand speciality and it is the whitebait season now as well. These tiny fish are caught near the river mouths as they make their way from the ocean to their inland spawning grounds. For Fluffy Whitebait Fritters, which are as light as air, separate an egg and beat the yolk, adding a touch of flour to help bind. Beat the egg white vigorously until the peaks are stiff. Add 100 grams of whitebait to the yolk then fold in the whites. Pan fry small dobs in butter for a couple of minutes each side. This makes just enough for two.

Keeping on the seafood theme, try Marinated Fish.

Marinated fish and capsicum on skewers.

I like to use white fleshed fish marinated overnight in a mixture of lemon, a dash of white vinegar and finely chopped onion. Drain the next day then mix with coconut milk, red capsicums and coriander for serving. Served as a starter, this dish is also fabulous with gewurztraminer.

For finger food parties, thread the cubes of marinated fish on to skewers, alternately with pieces of red and yellow capsicum.

New season's asparagus is one of the ultimate matches to new season's sauvignon, as well as aged sauvignon that starts exhibiting a vegetal character. Cook the asparagus in a pan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes so the asparagus spears are bright green but still crisp to the bite. Remove to the serving plate and sprinkle with freshly grated fresh parmesan cheese. So simple but so tasty.

For a party idea, roll the asparagus spears in bread with a slice of ham and a slice of mozzarella cheese. Brush the outside of the roll with melted butter and bake in the oven until the roll is golden and the cheese is melted.

Pasta is a great way to extend the expensive first to market asapragus of the new season. I prefer fettuccine. Cook fresh plain fettuccine according to directions. Drain, add a splash of cream and a good dollop of fresh grated fresh parmesan to coat the pasta then add chopped freshly poached asparagus and seasonings and mix to combine.

Or try Tomato and Basil flavoured fresh fettuccine. Prepare in a similar method to the asparagus pasta with the cream and cheese, but instead of fresh asparagus add roughly chopped fresh garden tomatoes and freshly chopped basil leaves.

Salads are great with sauvignon blanc. My local greengrocer sells salad packs of fresh leaves and herbs. I make sure I choose the packs with plenty of coriander, basil and parsley and chop the herbs into the salad leaves, and add cherry tomatoes (or chopped outdoor tomatoes picked straight off the vine) and red and yellow capsicum for colour. For a seasonal sensation, add chopped pieces of fresh, raw asparagus. Use a splash of zesty sauvignon blanc in the dressing.

Coleslaw is another fabulous match to sauvignon blanc, discovered by chance when nibbling on a piece of raw cabbage while sipping on a sauvignon when preparing dinner. Make a slaw of fresh cabbage and spring carrots, grate in some apple and add a handful of chopped fresh coriander and basil. Again, a splash of zesty sauvignon blanc in the dressing does wonders.

One of the ultimate matches with sauvignon blanc, I discovered when creating a dish for a Silichef challenge. I served a grilled round of goat milk camembert of a bed of puy lentils that had been poached in wine.

There are so many food matches for sauvignon blanc, so anyone who says it doesn't match, just hasn't bothered to experiment. Experimentation is definitely the key.

Here is a top 10 selection of some recent tastings of the new season's sauvignon blancs.

Te Mata Estate Castle Hill Hawkes Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2001
This is an outstanding sauvignon blanc from Hawkes Bay and in a blind tasting which included sauvignon blanc from all over New Zealand, I voted this my favourite. Hawkes Bay sauvignon blancs are so under-rated but this wine is just example of why they should not be ignored. It is a classic New Zealand style with musk, gooseberry and herbs and plenty of flavour that lingers on the palate. NZ$18-22

Pencarrow Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc 2001
This is a top notch effort from Martinborough's Palliser Estate for their 'second-label' wine. It's a classic sauvignon blanc with great pungency and zing, plenty of musky apocrine* and flavours showing juicy apples, herbs, grass, spice, gooseberry and citrus. It's rich, sweet and juicy with a long finish. NZ$19.

Clifford Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2001
Clifford Bay Wines is named after the bay at the tail of Marlborough's 'second' valley, the Awatere, which is a few k's south of Blenheim. Pungent aromas leap out of the glass, hinting of tropical fruits at first then gooseberry together with a smoky, grassy character. It's rich and fleshy in the palate with smoky, grassy fruits and sweet passionfruit emerging on the finish. NZ$17

Cloudy Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2001
Cloudy Bay is a sentimental favourite and the 2001 vintage release continues the excellence from this famous winery. Pale straw with a green tinge, it has a smoky (fumé) aroma and a rich full-bodied palate with classic Marlborough flavours of gooseberry, grass and lemon with underlying passionfruit and hints of musk that linger on the smoky finish. The wine has seen no oak. The smokiness comes from the pungency of the grape itself. NZ$25.

Lawson's Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2001
This is a cork-free zone, as this wine is closed with an 'Auscap' branded screwcap closure. The amazingly pungent aromas of gooseberries, grass and apocrine leap out of the bottle even before the wine has been poured into the glass. It has an oily, soft round texture, well balanced acidity, sweet gooseberry with hints of passionfruit and other tropical fruits and long lingering qrassy flavours. NZ$21.

Montana Reserve sauvignon Blanc and Asparagus Fettuccine.

Montana Reserve Marlborough Vineyard Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2001
Montana Wines has been producing sauvignon blanc in Marlborough since forever - well since the late 1970's, that is. They are now New Zealand's largest winemaker and have an enormous pool of Marlborough vineyards to source sauvignon blanc grapes from. The 2001 Reserve is is a lovely full-bodied sauvignon with grassy, herbaceous, capsicum and sweet lemon flavours at first combining well with the rich oily texture and the honeyed smoky finish. It's quite succulent in the palate with a ripe fruit sweetness, emerging gooseberry and then on the lingering smoky finish some intense passionfruit. A totally drinkable wine. NZ$20.
(Montana is marketed as Brancott in the US).

Saint Clair Wairau Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2001
This comes from a single vineyard on the coastal side of Blenheim township, the best tank of the producer's 15 vineyard sources. There's subtle fume and grassy aromas with hints of apocrine, then ripe, grassy, gooseberry, passionfruit, melons, peaches and capsicum flavours in the palate. Another classic sauvignon, with a whiff of smoke, a touch of basil - all the flavours and more. Balanced to the hilt, it has a rich, powerful lingering finish. $19.

Selaks Drylands Sauvignon Blanc 2001
The 2000 vintage of this wine was one of my favourites - I recommended it to everyone. It was certainly tops in the value stakes. The 2001 release is just as good, both in flavour and value. Upfront smoke, gooseberry and musk on the nose then in the mouth, the zingy acidity of lemon with herbs and an underlying peach richness that extends the length. It is rich and full-bodied with a slightly oily texture and a sweet herbaceous finish - a totally enjoyable wine. NZ$18.

West Brook Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2001
This producer, based in Auckland, processes the grapes in Marlborough then ships the juice to his Kumeu winery. It is an amazingly pungent wine with plenty of racy acidity to liven up the palate. Herbs, gooseberry, pineapple and passionfruit are the primary flavours of this wine along with a pungent sensuous muskiness. It is a well balanced, rich, long and flavoursome. NZ$17.

Gibbston Valley Central Otago Sauvignon Blanc 2001
From the producer who makes the best pinot noir in the world, according to the judges in the London International Wine Challenge, comes a very smart sauvignon blanc this year. Unfortunately for lovers of this wine, it will be their last as not many vintages are as kind to the sauvignon blanc grape this far south in the country, as the 2001 vintage was. Pale coloured, with shy aromas emitting citrus and stonefruits scents, the favours are full of zingy dry acids, gooseberries and grass and hints of pungent apocrine. It's a long and flavoursome wine with a grassy, dry finish. NZ$23

* Aprocrine is a word you will see often see popping up in my wine descriptors to describe one of the aromas and flavours of sauvignon blanc. But what does it mean? Well quite simply, it is that sensuous and intriguing odour of a freshly washed underarm. I tend to use it now, as reading 'arm-pit' as a wine descriptor can be down right repulsive to many, in fact the first time I used it in my newspaper column, the Editor red-lined it. The comment was not published. For a good definition of apocrine, check this link

Talking about descriptors, I've often seen 'boxwood' used in US descriptions of sauvignon blanc. I do not know this plant but believe it is used as an alternative to the famous 'cat-pee' descriptor. To me, cat-pee is the powerful scent of purple basil. My own cat's pee, which I happened to smell as the result of Cat's indiscretion on the bath mat, has the odour of canned asparagus. I guess the succinct aromas of the pee depends on what the cat has been eating.

Sue Courtney, Sept. 27, 2001