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+--- Thread: sauvignon blanc (/thread-1333.html)
- gregzeck - 09-16-1999
I'm planning an evening with a special lady friend & wonder what you might recommend, by way of appetizers / light fare, to go with a bottle of say Geyser Peak 1996 Sauvignon Blanc? Certain fruits, cheeses, even seafood?
- Randy Caparoso - 09-16-1999
If you're going to do cheese, chevre (French or local) is a Sauvignon Blanc classic -- each brings out the fresh, earthy toned qualities in the other. A surprising alternative is Port Salut; its soft texture contrasts a little with the crispness of the wine, but the two seem to click anyhow (the cheese bring out a silkiness in the wine, and the wine livening up the mild flavor of the cheese). In my experience, other cheeses can be a little tricky; hit-or-miss at best.
Crisp vegetable sticks and mesclun mix salads in soft vinaigrettes are natural accompaniments to both the wine and the above mentioned cheese. You might want to get elaborate, crust the cheese with finely chopped fresh herbs (especially parsley, basil, tarragon, chives, and mints). She might think, "Woh, a dude with some sensitivity," but what the heck. Show her your tatoo while you're at it. And don't forget the little, crisp toast points.
Do you cook? If so, Italian antipasto style marinated mushrooms, roasted peppers, and herb stuffed tomatoes are nice little Sauvignon Blanc tidbits. Or else, go to the market and pick up some smoked trout or (only if freshly prepared) marinated sardines. On the second thought, that doesn't sound too romantic (save it for the breakup -- just kidding).
But seriously. Fresh oysters is very provocative; but only if you're not a klutz with a oyster popper (don't want to ruin the moment with gushing blood). If not, what I would do is get some good sized shrimp, peel and devein (leave the tail end), sear for seconds on each side on a hot iron (heat a drops of salad oil on it first) or teflon pan (just a smidgin of salt and pepper), and then serve with a little dipping bowl of ketchup livened up with a smack of wasabi mustard (if not, red hot Cajun sauces). You can do this hours ahead and keep it in the fridge until that magic moment.
Good luck! Can't say this has helped me, though, since when I met my wife I made HER do cooking part. I just made sure the wine was damned good.
[This message has been edited by Randy Caparoso (edited 09-17-99).]
- Jerry D Mead - 09-17-1999
And that 1996 Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc is a great bottle of wine...I know a critic who gave it 100 points as the perfect California SB when the vintage was current a couple of years ago. And it had enough acidity to still be delicious.
- gregzeck - 09-17-1999
Thanks for the feedback on the SB & food accompaniments. RC: your advice is sensuous enough to make me think the lady could well become secondary in this mix. Will go the goat cheese route, I think, kicking my heels & yet staying on the ground. Like the shrimp idea, too -- and may save the oysters, however fitting they too would be, till after practice, which will make a good story in itself. WC: enough acidity still, hey? how long, generally, should a Sauvignon keep, then? (Just had a bottle of this 96 Geyser Peak last week and it was fine.)
- Randy Caparoso - 09-17-1999
Well, I always believed in the late Roy Andries De Groot's dictum that "If it wasn't good enough for Lucullus, then it isn't good enough for me." And Lucullus, in case you don't know, always dined best alone.
There are some Sauvignon Blancs, by the way, that improve over a 3 to 10 year span. But usually ones that:
1. Are blended with Semillon (which allow intrinsic components to gel and increase in volume of flavor and round out in texture); and
2. See some French oak aging and/or barrel fermentation (not so much because of the additional flavor than the fact that oxidative effects early in a wine's life allow it to interact with oxygen to greater effect in the long run).
By the same token, Sauvignon Blancs purer in varietal content and see very little or no oak are probably best consumed when young and alive with its natural characteristics. There is less there to be improved upon by prolonged exposure to small amounts of oxygen in the bottle. As with any wine, the object of aging is not to see if a wine can "last," but to see if it actually improves in flavor and interest.
- Bucko - 09-17-1999
By the same token, Sauvignon Blancs purer in varietal content and see very little or no oak are probably best consumed when young and alive with its natural characteristics.
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This even holds true for most Sancerres as well, which seem to drink best around two years of age.
Bucko
- Jerry D Mead - 09-18-1999
Greg...Not to worry. The Geyser Peak 1997 AND 1998 are both delightful examples of the variety and very similar in style to your 1996...you won't even have to change brands...though experimentation is always fun.