The Best Food Pairings For Sauvignon Blanc
Posted by Pam Thompson | Sauvignon Blanc | Posted on February 18th, 2010
As with any grape variety Sauvignon Blanc differs significantly from one part of the world to the other. There is just no way on earth that the Sauvignons of the Calabrese region of Italy will taste the same as that of Wellington in South Africa. Although most are interchangeable as far as food pairing goes you can enhance the taste and pleasure you get by carefully picking your pairings. Weve got the low down on the best food pairings for Sauvignon Blanc:
Minerally Sauvignon Blancs in the form of Sancerre and Pouilly Fume and other cooler climate Sauvignon Blancs. The best foods are items that are simple and barely seasoned including raw or lightly cooked shellfish in the form of oysters, prawns, crab and olive oil grilled fish such as sea bass. They also go well with dishes containing raw or lightly cooked tomato for example gazpacho, tomato consomme or vinaigrettes and goat cheeses. These Blancs are great with Japanese dishes including seafood-based dim sum, sushi, sashimi and delicately smoked salmon.
Citrussy Sauvignons. These Blancs have a simple yet distinct lemony flavour and range from unoaked white Bordeaux to the more intense Adelaide Sauvignon Blancs. Chilean and Argentinian Sauvignons will also fall in this category.
Pair these Blancs with grilled fish dishes including sardines and mackerel as well as fried fish like goujons, whitebait and plain old fish and chips. Even grilled chicken or lamb without any potent marinades taste great with Citrussy Sauvignons. They work well with Greek and Mexican foods as well as any fresh tasting dishes that contain avo, tomato, green onions, artichokes, olives and strong cheeses for example feta. They pair exquisitely with giant garlic prawns and char grilled squid as well as cheeses flavoured with herbs specifically garlic for example Boursin.
Aromatic Sauvignon Blancs and Sauvignon blends for example Western Australian Sem-Sauv blends. Now these Blancs pair fantastically with salads especially ones that contain seafood and herbs as well as greens such as asparagus, pea-shoots and green peppers. You can drink them with similar dishes to Minerally Blancs but these flavours need to be more pronounced such as lime, chilli and coriander.
Oaked Sauvignon for example oaked white Bordeaux or fume blanc.You can drink these with white meats such as chicken or veal, accompanied by a creamy sauce or spring vegetable. Pasta dishes containing a spring veggie and buttery or creamy sauce also go together well.
A rather basic yet effective tip for food and wine pairing is to consider the tastes and flavors of each. Remember the meal is going to be the focal point not the wine, so its best to start there. Do the ingredients require a rich savory sauce or lots of herbs and spices such as garlic? If so, you should rather opt for a red wine that can stand up to such a dish instead of a Sauvignon.
Its all about figuring out what you enjoy personally, and what tastes best when you and your guests eat dinner.