Fill in the blanc with summer white
Sauvignon blanc is often recommended as an ideal summer sip, but anyone who has tasted around the category knows that the regional and stylistic variations involved can make buying experience confusing. Personae assumed by this shifty varietal include the minerally, razor-keen French version, the grapefruit-and-gooseberry jazzed New Zealander, and the roly-poly, soft-focus Californian. Outsized flavors and wild aromatics are par for the course here -- especially under New World labels.
While at $10 and under these wines are quite a bit less likely to exhibit the flamboyant features more expensive versions can pack in, a nicely turned out sauvignon plonk may actually be the more versatile sip -- its more modest demeanor improving the odds that what's in the glass won't be competing for attention with what's on the plate.
And what is on the plate? It's often said that the classic match for Old World sauvignon blanc is a lovely fresh goat cheese. You may find, as we have, that this is a wine that seems just right alongside one of those big weeknight salads we concoct with some beautiful local greens, a soft-cooked farm-fresh egg, and a few slices of whatever came off the grill over the weekend. After all, these are the salad days.
STEPHEN MEUSE
Cooper's Creek ``Cat's Phee on a Gooseberry Bush" New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 2005. Pleasingly low-key gooseberry and lemon drop profile; light, refreshing, and simple; good aperitif choice. About $10. At Marty's Fine Wine, Newton, 617-332-1230; Wine Press, Brookline, 617-277-7020; The Shelburne Falls Wine Merchant, 413-625-6506.
Fournier Sauvignon Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France 2005. Forward, sauvignon-esque aromatics and some distinctive eastern Loire character; great freshness and zip. About $9. At Marty's Fine Wine, Newton; Post Road Liquors, Wayland, 508-358-4300; Brookline Liquor Mart, 617-734-7700
Fairview South Africa Sauvignon Blanc 2005. A big mouthful of juicy fruit garnished with some distinctive earth and mineral notes; an emphatically South African expression of the grape. About $10. Longridge Wine & Spirits, Plymouth, 508-209-9463; Marsh's Liquor Store, Norwell, 781-878-5042; Martignetti Liquors, Brighton.
Henri Bourgeois ``Petit Bourgeois" Sauvignon Blanc 2005. Lovely ripe sauvignon fruit; fine varietal character, great zip, and beautifully balanced. A peach. About $10. At Brix Wine Shop, South End, 617-542-2749; The Concord Cheese Shop, 978-369-5778; Our Market, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-3000.
Santa Ema Maipo Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2005. Round, ripe, and fullish; characteristic sauvignon elements in a New World package; acids a bit relaxed. About $8. At Martignetti Liquors, Brighton, 617-782-3700; Blanchard Liquor, Jamaica Plain, 617-522-9300.
Stephen Meuse can be reached at onwine@comcast.net.
ABOUT PLONK
www.boston.com/ae/food
This is a monthly column on $10-and-under wines we call "plonk," which began as British slang for the cheapest drink served, and is now widely used to mean simple, inexpensive bottles. ``Plonk of the month" appears on the last Wednesday of the month and is posted on Boston.com. We list several shops where you can buy these bottles, but check with your local merchant.
