May

15

It has been sweltering hot in San Francisco in the past couple of days.  Of course, as some of you may know, “hot” in San Francisco doesn’t have quite the same meaning as it does anywhere else.  For example, I remember when we first moved to the Bay Area from New York City, and we overheard someone characterize 80-degree weather as a heat wave – we had just left New York’s sticky, 90+ degree summer humidity, and so to us, that just sounded like gobbledygook.  Fast foward a year later, though, when we finally experienced that same weather for ourselves without air conditioning (which houses in San Francisco typically lack), and that same statement made a lot more sense.  I only share this recollection with you because, at the moment, Weather.com says that it’s 71 degrees in San Francisco, our thermostat reads 87, and our house feels like a sauna.   

Should you find yourself in a similar situation this summer, we suggest picking up a bottle of Jean Francois Merieau “Bulles” Touraine Sparkling, sticking it in the fridge for an hour or two, popping the cork, and drinking up!  We’re confident that you’ll find this sparkler to be brilliantly refreshing, just as we have found it to be during these past couple ”hot” days.

The organic “Bulles” Touraine Sparkling – composed of 80% Chenin Blanc and 20% Sauvignon Blanc – was produced in the Touraine appellation of the Loire Valley (i.e., it is not Champagne, although like Champagne, it was aged sur lie (the link is to Wine Spectator’s free online glossary)).

We loved the lightness of body and the juicy flavors of apple, pear, and a twist of lime, and as we polished off the bottle last night on our deck while watching the city reflect the sun’s pink light at dusk, we were sure that the drink in our glasses could not have been more appropriate. 

Where to get it: We bought our bottle at K&L Wines in San Francisco.  They ship.  You can also find it using the Snooth search function under “Wine Locator” in the right hand column of this page, or by visiting wine-searcher.com or winezap.com.

May

8

We were originally intending to write today’s posting about a significantly more expensive wine that we had hoped we could recommend for Mother’s Day (which is this Sunday).  Sadly, that bottle didn’t work out so well – after just one sip, we quickly realized from the burning sensation of alcohol in our mouths that it was woefully out of balance.  This was disappointing, but fortunately, we had a back-up that we knew would be guaranteed to make your mom smile: Kim Crawford’s Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007. 

Kim Crawford’s Sauv Blanc is just one of a number of great New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs that are conveniently priced in the 10 to $20 range.  In fact, query whether there’s a better bargain in wine available, period!

We purchased our bottle for a picnic with friends in Mill Valley last weekend, and the wine seemed to go over quite well.  It’s zetsy and light, with both grassy and citrusy fruit flavors and aromas.   And, it has a screwtop!

There’s really nothing not to love about this one.

Where to get it: We bought our bottle at Safeway.  Yes, the supermarket.  Kim Crawford apparently made tons of this stuff, and you should pretty much be able to find it anywhere. 

Jan

24

We opened this bottle last night, and I can’t wait to fill up another glass this evening.  One of my favorite things about wine in general is that the same variety of grape grown in two different regions can produce wines with entirely different characteristics due to the influence of factors like soil composition and sun exposure.  If you’d like to experience this for yourself, compare (1) the Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand that I reviewed last week with (2) the Sancerre for which this post is named, which is a Sauvignon Blanc from the Sancerre appellation of France’s Loire Valley.

On comparison, you’d find that both of these wines have citrus flavor, but the citrus manifests itself as tart grapefruit and lime in the Whitehaven, as opposed to chalky lemon with a slight tinge of Granny Smith apple in the Sancerre.  Most dramatic of all is the difference in texture: while the Whitehaven’s is sharp and crisp, the Sancerre’s is silky and smooth. 

If you do get a chance to try the two bottles discussed above, keep your reactions fresh in mind, because eventually we’ll add a California Sauvignon Blanc to the mix.

Jan

15

I was in New York last weekend with the family and had the pleasure of tasting a very typically refreshing New Zealand sauvignon blanc.  It was citrusy, crisp and acidic with a tart finish (emphasis on the latter).  It was also a good bargain at around $14.

Happily, this week I noticed this wine on the discount rack at a San Francisco branch of Safeway, proving the point that it’s not always true that you should avoid “sale” wines at the supermarket.   For those of us that have shelled out $30 or $40 on a bottle that turned out to be junk, it’s reassuring to know that the pendulum occasionally swings the other way, i.e., that there are plenty of $10 or $15 wines (even on the sale rack in the supermarket) that hold their own against bottles three times the price.   

Building on the above, Christina and I recently discovered the wonders of wine shopping at Costco.  They actually tell you what the wine ratings are (if there are any) for each bottle of wine they sell, so as long as you trust the Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast and Wine Advocate, your wine shopping experience will be quick and reliable.  Also, the wines are deeply discounted.  The only glitches: (1) the selection is far more limited than your usual wine merchant’s, and (2) if you’re really into wine, you’ll find it hard to resist the temptation of doing laps around the wine island in hopes of finding a true diamond in the rough.  

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