St. Supéry Vineyards & Winery in Napa Valley believes in its Sauvignon Blanc so much that they established #SauvBlanc Day in 2010 to celebrate the variety. This year we are celebrating Sauvignon Blanc Day with St. Supéry and prepared a spring meal to pair with the 2019 St. Supéry Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, which we received as a tasting sample.
The first Friday in May is reserved for this crisp, refreshing variety, and since 2010 Sauvignon Blanc Day has become an international celebration. Look for #SauvBlancDay on social media to join the celebration.
Sauvignon Blanc originated in France, but it is now grown in many parts of the world including Chile, South Africa, United States, Australia and New Zealand where it is a signature variety. Depending on soils and climate, Sauvignon Blanc is capable of a wide variety of flavors from very green (gooseberry and grass) to melon and stone fruit in warmer climates. Barrel-aged versions come with additional weight and body.
2019 St. Supéry Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley — pale yellow with aromas of guavas, passion fruit and stone fruit. Flavors of white peach, passion fruit and pineapple guava are supported by notable acidity and a bit of roundness in the mouth. The finish is very long. 13.5% abv. SRP $22
Flavors lean toward a combination of stone fruit and tropical, rather than ultra-green flavors, and are supported by the lively acidity I love in Sauvignon Blanc. Cool, stainless steel fermentation preserves the lively flavors of the fruit. Amazingly, 44 blocks of Sauvignon Blanc were vinified separately, and then blended, in this 2019 vintage. Each block in the Dollarhide Vineyard is identified based on location, soil and age of the vines.
The Dollarhide Ranch is more than 1530 acres in size, and sits at elevations between and 600 and 1100 feet above sea level. The varied terrain include seven different soil series. Only 500 acres are planted to vines leaving most of the acreage to support the diverse wildlife and plants of the area. This location in the northeastern hills of Napa Valley is very warm during the growing season, but cools considerably at night.
Unfortunately, the LNU Complex Fire converged on the ranch on the second day of Sauvignon Blanc harvest in 2020. Tragically, Sauvignon Blanc is the only wine made from the Dollarhide Vineyard last year.
The second estate vineyard surrounds the winery in Rutherford and is planted to 35 acres of Bordeaux varieties. All St. Supéry wines are made using only estate-grown grapes.
St. Supéry is certified sustainable by Napa Green in their estate vineyards and the winery. The certifications include actions in the vineyard to use water wisely and control the use of pesticides as well as social equity and justice issues for workers. Winery initiatives include energy and water conservation, recycling and a commitment to social equity.
Because Sauvignon Blanc often has those signature green aromas and flavors it makes an excellent pairing for vegetables. I took advantage of our local Farmer’s Market (for the first time since the COVID pandemic began) to secure spring peas, fava beans and baby bok choy. Seared scallops added richness and made a delicious pairing with sautéed vegetables.
The bright, acid-driven St. Supéry Sauvignon Blanc was the perfect pairing for ginger and garlic vegetables and the richness of the butter-sauteed scallops.
The St. Supéry website is a treasure-trove of recipes developed by Estate Chef Tod Kawachi. I recently sat in on a virtual wine tasting that included a perspective from the vineyard, winemaking and featured Chef Tod making three dishes using sustainable seafood. It was one of the most fun and informative tastings I’ve attended recently and I highly recommend exploring these virtual opportunities.
Here’s wishing you a happy Sauvignon Blanc Day. We hope you celebrate with something delicious in your glass. And thanks to St. Supéry Vineyards & Winery for including us in your Sauvignon Blanc celebration this year.
Cheers!
