Day 336 Drink: Napa Cellars 2009 Sauvignon Blanc

Napa Cellars is located in Oakville, Calif. The winery selects grapes from across the Napa Valley. Winemaker Joe Shirley got his start in the business at Sonoma Cutrer, before joining Trinchero Winery in 1999. He became head winemaker at Napa Cellars in 2007.

Napa Cellars 2009 Sauvignon Blanc is a bright straw color and has a fresh grapefruit aroma. The wine benefits from cool fermentation in 100 percent stainless steel which allows subtle citrus and floral flavors to be maintained. A good level of acidity lends a crispness to the wine that makes it perfect to accompany fowl and pork dishes.

Day 140 Drink: William Cole Columbine Special Reserve 2009 Sauvignon Blanc

William Cole Vineyards is located in Chile’s Casablanca Valley. The vineyard is located near the coast and the winery specializes in cool climate varieties.

William Cole Columbine Special Reserve 2009 Sauvignon Blanc is the kind of $15 a bottle summer sipper that most palates willingly embrace. A floral and slight citrus aroma that opens with with a tropical fruit tartness. As the flavor evolves hints of peaches and green apples emerge. Nothing heavy here. It can certainly match up well with chicken or fish.

Tuesday Tasting: A Dozen Sauvignon Blancs Perfect For Summer

Tuesday Tasting is a regular feature of Lyke2Drink that explores some of the best beers, wines and spirits on the market. This week we taste a dozen sauvignon blancs.

In the upcoming issue of All About Beer magazine my Beyond Beer column is focused on wines that are perfect for summer sipping. Sauvignon blanc surely fits that bill, with crisp citrus, melon and stone fruit notes. Here are 12 sauvignon blancs tasted for the article.

Brassfield 2006 High Valley Serenity White Table Wine: A blend of sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio and gewürztraminer, this California white has nice citrus and pineapple tones. Well balanced with a good level of acidity perfect for the summer heat.

Brancott 2005 Sauvignon Blanc: This New Zealand wine is influenced by French oak and has an interesting asparagus nose that leads off. This quickly releases nice citrus notes and a touch of lemongrass.

Ehlers Estate 2007 Sauvignon Blanc: This Napa Valley golden straw wine is crisp with intense mango and peach notes. Slight pineapple and mineral finish.

Fetzer 2006 Sauvignon Blanc: Clean and crisp California sauvignon blanc. Light citrus and pear flavors.

Floral Springs 2006 Soliloquy: Produced using 100 percent sauvignon blanc gapes in Napa and sur-lees aged for 7 months in 1800-gallon Slavic-German oak tanks. Hints of melon, raisins and ripe fruit in a lingering flavor profile.

Hall 2006 Sauvignon Blanc: This winery is located in St. Helena in the heart of Napa among some of the best known California vineyards. This sauvignon blanc is crisp with nice citrus and melon qualities. Perfect to go with the fresh catch of the day.

Charles Krug 2007 Sauvignon Blanc: This Napa white is clean and crisp. Solid grapefruit notes in a wine that is an affordable cocktail pour.

Langtry 2006 Lillie Sauvignon Blanc: A light and crisp wine from California with a slight grassy tone, nice grapefruit and citrus.

Mercer 2007 Sauvignon Blanc: From Washington’s Columbia Valley this is a well built white wine. Faint wildflower nose, touch of herbal character from oak aging with pair, melon and honey flavors.

Murrieta’s Well 2006 Meritage: This Livermore Valley sauvignon blanc (65 percent) and Semillon (35 percent) blend spends 16 months in oak and undergoing malolactic fermentation to develop a rich character. A lemongrass and slightly sweet nose, with vanilla and honey flavor notes.

Redwood Creek 2006 Sauvignon Blanc: From California, a creamy white with honey, melon and green apple flavor tones. A nice outdoor wine.

Signorello Seta 2006 Proprietary White: Made in Napa from a blend of Semillon (60 percent) and sauvignon blanc (40 percent) this wine has an attractive nose with hints of melons. Made in a French style, the wine has a nice mineral base, with vanilla from the oak and good fruit character.

White Wine Named Top Wine from Chile

Most of us think red when we think Chilean wine, but a sauvignon blanc has taken home the top prize in the 2007 Wines of Chile Awards.

Casas del Bosque's Sauvignon Blanc 2006 from the Casablanca Valley took the Best in Show prize. It's the first time in the four year history of the awards that a white has earned the top prize. It beat out 400 wines entered in the competition.

The judges named Miguel Torres Santa Digna Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2006 as the Best Value White and Montgras Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 as the Best Value Red in the competition.