For the most part, I’m a red wine drinker. It’s not that I don’t like white wines, I do. Maybe this started because reds don’t have to be chilled, so I didn’t have to plan ahead as much. Maybe it was because it took me longer to find flavorful whites that appealed to me than was the case with reds. Regardless, the bulk of the wines we buy and drink are red. That said, one of my favorite wines – the “if you had to be stuck on a desert island with only 1 type f white wine and 1 type of red wine to drink, what would it be” type – is sauvignon blanc. The crisp, refreshing acidity of a good sauv blanc just makes me happy.
Another thing that makes me incredibly happy are scallops. Given the expense associated with high quality scallops, they’re not something we buy a whole lot of, but Grape Envy Guy knows how much I love them, so he gets them into our menu plan ever now and then. Scallops invariably make me want a crisp refreshing white wine to have with dinner, and often, the wine that gets tapped for a pairing is a sauv blanc.
To be perfectly honest, much as I love sauv blanc and VA wine, this isn’t a grape that shines in many parts of VA. That said, we have been fortunate enough to have some great local sauv blancs from vineyards that clearly have the right micro-climates to get the most from this grape. My favorites typically come from Jeff White, owner/winemaker at Glen Manor Vineyards, and we recently decided to pair a bottle of his ’07 sauv blanc with some grilled scallops, grilled smashed potatoes, and grilled asparagus all topped with a basil vinaigrette.
So, the wine… The nose was mostly tropical fruit, but there was also a hint of green grassyness in there as well. On the palate, I note lime, tropical fruit, a hint of grass, some light minerality, and some bracing acidity. The wine worked really well with the meal – including the asparagus, which is typically seen as a vegetable that doesn’t always pair well with wine. When tasted with dinner, the fruit flavors were tamed a bit and the minerality became more dominant.
All in all, the evening made for one happy Diva: great wine, great food, and Grape Envy Guy mastered scallop grilling (thanks to a great recipe from Cooks Illustrated)!
May 19, 2011 at 8:32 am
Grilled scallops are amazing. Something about the way the intense heat of the charcoal affects the flesh makes them taste like they’ve been fried in sweet cream butter. What better wine to pair with them than a well balanced sauv blanc with loads of grassiness and bright acidity? I love my grill, and I’ve made some killer meals… but this is definitely among my favorites, in no small part due to the wine pairing!
May 19, 2011 at 10:13 am
Local Asparagus I hope…It is so delcious right now. I love this time of year.
I have been on a massive Sauv Blanc and Riesling kick lately. Something else that happens this time of year without fail. Luckily we actually sell this wine in our store as our one “Non-Tarara” wine so I get plenty of it. Great Juice. We started selling it since our Single Vineyard whites were sold out and the new vintages weren’t ready yet, but what a great choice.
May 19, 2011 at 12:49 pm
I recently clipped a recipe for scallops grilled with prosciutto which sounds yummy. Haven’t tried it yet. I’m not a major scallops fan like VWD but when they are done right, I enjoy them. I’m more of a crab lover, though.
What wine do y’all like with crabs? Or do you prefer beer with it, as most Marylanders do?
I can imagine that a nice Sav Blanc would pair well with scallops. If I ever get around to doing that recipe, I’ll make sure I have a nice one chilled and ready to drink!
May 19, 2011 at 3:33 pm
Sounds awesome. We’ll have to give the pairing a try.
May 19, 2011 at 4:47 pm
Hmmm…as a couple of transplanted new Englanders, we’re more into lobsters than crabs, so I have no idea what I’d pair with them….
October 9, 2011 at 8:25 pm
i’m also a big fan of sav blancs, mostly from nz and sonoma. i went to Glen Manor for the first time and tasted their ’10 sav blanc. really enjoyed it. any idea where I can find an earlier vintage? (specific store) they said previous years are sold out. i’m curious to know how the ’10 matches up with what you’ve tasted from their earlier vintages. bought a bottle and look forward to seeing how the wine drinks through a meal.
October 10, 2011 at 10:16 pm
Pete – I’m not sure where, if anywhere, you can find older vintages of the Glen Manor sauv blanc. You may want to check with Jeff and Kelly White (the owners) about what retail outlets they use and if they know of any that have older vintages still available.
October 11, 2011 at 6:36 am
There is a list of retail outlets on the Glen Manor website – at lleast there was the last time I checked.
October 11, 2011 at 7:50 pm
thanks for that, Ed!