When I cook spicy Asian foods I am looking for crisp, fruity wines to offset the heat and allow the flavors to shine through. Typically Riesling is a good choice but I am leaning on Sauvignon Blanc now as I find it more versatile with the myriad of spices that are used in Korean, Indian and Thai cuisine. This particular Kiwi version is a very pale gold in the glass. The nose is very interesting- cut grass, lemon peel, apricot and kumquat. The palate is delicious with tropical fruits galore and a medium jolt of acidity. I’m still getting kumquats, but now I also taste star fruit and pineapple. The mid palate had a nice cut to it and the finish is decent in length with the tropical fruit theme continuing. This is a delicious wine folks and at 12.5% alcohol, it’s easy to drink. The structure makes for an easy drop without being too acidic yet it has a decent bite, important for spicy dishes. I think I picked right for this pairing but I would also put it up against a hearty charcuterie board, grilled Garlic Prawns, Salmon on the grill- you get the idea. At $13 this is a buy-by-the case wine that gets 89 points and 5 stars from me. Drink till 2024. Salut….

Our second Sav Blanc of Thanksgiving was another Kiwi wine. Pale yellow in the glass with a somewhat muted nose of tangerine and pomelo.  On the palate it is refreshing with that orange citrus flavor along with grated ginger and capsicum.  There is a hint of wood accent on the mid palate and a touch of acidity.  It’s a fuller mouthfeel but is a bit shallower on the flavor profiles. 89 points and 4 stars for this $11 quaffer to drink till 2022. Salut….

Light yellow in the glass. Pineapple, apricot and lemon on the nose. The palate is semi sweet with lemon zest, green apple, cut grass and a touch of honeysuckle. Delicious with mid grade acidity that balances the sweetness perfectly.  A hint of effervescence was noted by some but I’m getting a touch of green pepper instead.  It’s a really delicious white wine that has finally gotten a thumbs up from my buddy Dusty.  He is a red drinker but this one broke through for him. 91 points and 5 stars for this $15 wine. Drink till 2024. Salut….

This wine kicked off our 4th Virtual Wine Tasting.   As in the past, I had all the attendees reserve half the bottle at room temperature and the other half chilled.  My brief notes include a very nice shade of light gold in the glass.  The nose was very floral and included grapefruit, citrus, green apple and pear.  The palate was very much in line with the nose and had a modicum of tangy acidity, citrus and floral notes with a decent length finish.  The room temperature version offered a much fuller nose, more emphasis on the flowers while the chilled version focused on the citrus and acidic components.  Both were delicious but I preferred the cold version whilst scoring the room temp slightly higher using my own 20 point scale.  Interestingly, the nose of this wine did not exhibit the telltale cat pee aromas that I usually note in Kiwi Sav-Blancs.  I don’t necessarily miss it, but I was hoping to showcase it as a prominent feature of the varietal from this region.  The wine did display some nice minerality that is reminiscent of a French Sancerre.  I am going with 90 points and 5 stars for this $14 deal.  Try and stock up for the hot summer and pair it with steamed shrimp, grilled fish or chicken breast and salad.  Drink till 2024.  Salut….

Very pale greenish yellow in the glass.  The nose is delicious- passion fruit and mango.  The initial palate reveals a cleat slate on which I get citrus, mainly grapefruit, with some pear.  The passion fruit comes around again on the mid palate which is absolutely intriguing me.  It brings along some nice acidity and freshness.  The tartness begins halfway through and builds into the finish, where it leaves me with a nice fresh mouthfeel and some lingering tartness on the gums.  This wine is really interesting, from a flavor profile to the way it morphs on the palate.  I pulled it from the fridge as Moxie is making Stir Fried Shrimp and something else, I figured a Sauvignon Blanc would pair well.  I was right.  This wine gets 90 points from me and for the $13 I paid, a sure thing 5 star effort.  Drink now and for the next two years.  Salut….