Sancerre's next door neighbor, Menetou-Salon

If you like Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre or Pouilly Fumé in the Loire Valley of France, this next door neighbor Menetou-Salon is your ticket (and less expensive)!! Sauvignon Blanc, one of the most planted white grapes in the world.

Depending on the climate and where it’s grown, smells like fresh cut grass mixed with vibrant flavors anywhere from bell pepper to gooseberry to passion fruit. The cool climates such as New Zealand makes zingy passion fruit forward Sauvignon Blanc. Loire Valley makes citrus forward, mineral driven wines due to the flinty, limestone soils that are in this region. Chile’s coastal region makes the best valued Sauvignon Blanc, leaning more towards herbaceous, saline wines. South Africa’s millions of years old minerally soils and hot, sunny cllimate produces a more stone fruit driven wine, as does California which are rich in peach, nectarine, grass and lemon.

This particular wine has flavors of crisp green apple, chalk, slate, white pepper pear, melon, grass, lemon, peach, yellow plum, honeysuckle. It has a creamy texture, lively acidity and very refreshing.

Pair with grilled cod with lemon chive butter, shrimp tarragon risotto, chicken stuffed with aubergine and smoked bacon, or roast pork with apples and caramel.