Attributes:

Longview

Adelaide Hills, Australia/New Zealand

Sauvignon Blanc

750 ML

Food Matches:

One of Australia’s most famous “cool climate” regions, known for its Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir.

Comes mostly from California, France, New Zealand, and South Africa. Its highly acidic wines are often suggestive of herbs or grass. Light to medium bodied and usually dry, European versions are generally not oaky while California Sauvignon Blanc can take on many of the qualities of Chardonnay. France has two classic wine regions for the Sauvignon Blanc gape: Bordeaux and the Loire Valley The Bordeaux wine is called Bordeaux Blanc and the two best known of the Loire wines are called Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé. In Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc is sometimes blended with Sémillon.

Attributes:

Domaine Chandon

Carneros, United States

Chardonnay

750 ML

2004: WineSpectator Rating: 85

floral

fragrant

apple, pear, spice

2003: WineSpectator Rating: 83

citrus, pineapple, sour

2002: WineSpectator Rating: 87

lively acidity

pleasant

apple, citrus, earthy, pear

2002: WineEnthusiast Rating: 87

clean, tart

elegant

lime, mineral, smoke, vanilla

ripe

2001: WineSpectator Rating: 85

citrus, grapefruit, oak

2001: WineEnthusiast Rating: 87

strong

2001: Tastings Rating: 88

full-bodied

rich

oak, peach, smoky, vanilla

2000: WineSpectator Rating: 90

anise, apricot, buttery, pear

Food Matches:

This small section of Northern California is situated at the base of both the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Carneros has made its reputation with its Pinot Noirs, which are filled with strawberry, cherry, spice, and chocolate, and are very rich and seductive. Chardonnay is also excellent, very buttery but not too fat.

(shar dohn nay)—This noble grape’s reputation was established in France, particularly in the Burgundy region, and the highly prized Chardonnay wines from Chablis, Mâcon, Mersault, and Pouilly-Fuissé are imitated by winemakers around the world. Generally an oaked wine (whether from expensive oak barrels or a quick soak in oak chips), its fruity aromas and flavors range from apple in the cooler regions to tropical fruits such a pineapple in the warmer regions. It can also display subtle earthy aromas, such as mushroom or minerals. It has a medium to high acidity and is generally full-bodied. Classical Chardonnay wines are dry. Chardonnay is also an important grape in the Champagne district where it's picked before fully ripe and while it still has high acid and understated fruit flavors—the perfect combination for champagne. California has adopted this grape with a fervor and there are some 200 wineries producing Chardonnay wines in other parts of the United States. Chardonnay has also seen a tremendous planting surge in Australia, and new vineyards are being planted in Italy, Lebanon, New Zealand, Spain, and South Africa.

Attributes:

Corino

Piedmont, Italy

Nebbiolo

750 ML

Food Matches:

This noble variety from Italy is used primarily in Barolo and Barbaresco, two Piedmontese wines. It is a powerful, lusty grape, high in both tannin and acidity but balanced by an ample alcoholic content. Its color can be deep when the wine is young, but orangey tinges can develop within a few years. Its complex aroma is fruity, earthy, woodsy, herbal and floral.

Located in the northwest cuff of the “boot,” Piedmont is home to the famous Nebbiolo grape. Barolo and Barbaresco, two of the world’s great red wines, are made from Nebbiolo grapes in the Langhe hills around Alba. Both are DOCG wines named after the village in which it is produced. Less expensive red wines include Dolcetta, Barbera, and softer versions of Nebbiolo. White wines are less well known in Piedmont, but two interesting whites are Gavi, which is dry and fairly acidic, and Arneis, a medium-dry wine with a rich texture.