Varietal: Chardonnay
Region: Chile
Cost: $9

Golden yellow in color with aromas of pineapple and papaya with hints of vanilla.  Pineapple, citrus, and a subtle acid on the palate.  Pairs well with roasted chicken and shellfish in a light cream sauce.

Recommendations: There was a distinct lack of white wine in my house recently, and so during a tasting at my local wine shop I picked up a couple of bottles of white to have around.  My wife doesn’t like Chardonnay with a heavy oak flavor, so when I saw the Terra Andina (of which I’ve had other varietals and enjoyed), I grabbed it.

Taking the advice of the tasting notes on the back of the bottle, and because we had both available in the house for an easy dinner, we paired the wine with a dinner of shrimp in a garlic alfredo sauce with some farfalle pasta.  The acid of the Terra Andina did a nice job of cutting through the cream sauce, and the citrus flavors, particularly pineapple, were a nice compliment to the taste of the shrimp.

While this is by no means a life altering Chardonnay, it’s a great one to keep around the house.  For the price, you’d be hard pressed to find a quality Chardonnay that will pair well with food and be enjoyable just by itself.  If you’re looking for a white wine on a budget, the Terra Andina Chardonnay is definitely one worth looking at.

So this past Wednesday I was fortunate enough to get to participate in a virtual blogger tasting of 8 Chilean Sauvignon Blancs.  Myself and several other bloggers were all sent tasting kits that included wine that we would taste on the 12th while interacting with the wine makers via webcam and chatroom.

Since they sent us 8 bottles of wine, I did the only wise thing, and invited several friends over to help me taste all the wines and to get their opinions on them as well.  If you’re in the Richmond area you can follow them on twitter at:  @ptmartinez ; @melrv ; @jkennett ; @akennett ; and @knownhuman.

All of the wines we tasted were the 2009 vintage and all were 100% Sauvignon Blanc.  Our first wine was the Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc from the Casablanca Valley (SRP $10.99).  It featured a good bit of citrus with a bit of an effervescent, tart finish, while remaining crisp.  Nice and light this would be a great deck wine and was the favorite of my wife’s friend Marisa (she’s not on Twitter or I’d share her login).

Next up was the Ventisquero Sauvignon Blanc, also from the Casablanca Valley (SRP $17.00).  With a bit of pepper on both the nose and the palate – there was debate if it was bell pepper or jalepeno – I found it more enjoyable than the first wine, only because I could see pairing it with food better.

Our third wine of the evening was the Undurraga T.H. Sauvignon Blanc from the Leyda Valley (SRP $15.99 – 16.99).  A combination of grapefruit and melon on the nose lead into apple flavors, with us debating the type (I settled on Granny Smith, others were saying Gala and Fuji).

Our forth wine was actually the least favorite of the entire group.  The Valdivieso Sauvignon Blanc from the Leyda Valley (SRP $21.99) had a smell that my friend Pedro best described as “new leather shoe” which wouldn’t have been bad in a robust red wine, but was fairly off-putting in a white, particularly a Sauvignon Blanc.  With a flavor that reminded us of sherry more than anything, we weren’t a huge fan of this one. (Author’s note:  I’ve been contacted about this wine as there was some bottle variation amongst the bloggers on this one.  We’re all being sent new bottles to review and I’ll write up a separate review of this wine to either confirm or refute my thoughts here after it arrives.)

The fifth wine of the night was the Santa Rita Medalla Real Sauvignon Blanc from the Leyda Valley (SRP $19.99).  Light in color the nose reminded me of celery more than anything, though others said they got tomato vine for the nose.  With a flavor of grapefruit rind it was a step up from the previous wine, but still not a favorite.

The sixth wine was the Cono Sur Sauvignon Blanc from the San Antonio Valley (SRP $13.00).  An organic wine, this one also featured what I called a celery nose, but it was much more subtle and quickly lead into a good citrus flavor that was refreshing.  This was the hands down favorite of the group and was quickly gone after the tasting was over.

Our seventh wine was the Haras de Pirque Sauvignon Blanc from the Maipo Valley (SRP $12.00).  It reminded me of the first wine we sampled, but not quite as enjoyable, with grapefruit and other citrus flavors.

Finally, our eighth wine of the night was the Casa Silva Cool Coast Sauvignon Blanc from the Colchagua Valley (SRP $22.99).  Crisp with a nose of bell pepper and grapefruit flavors and a hint of effervescence.  My only complaint with this wine was that we all agreed it was a bit overpriced.

I want to give a special thanks to Wines of Chile for including not just myself, but my friends, and other wine bloggers in this event.  I look forward to the next one, and if any of my readers have questions about any of these wines, feel free to ask me – I have packets of information on each one that I’m happy to share.

Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: New Zealand
Cost: $26

Pale straw in color with hints of green and featuring blackcurrant and gooseberry on the nose with concentrated fruit and tropical fruit on the palate.  Pairs well with crab, salmon, chicken, and cheeses.

Recommendations: This time of year, I drink a lot of Sauvignon Blanc, which is why I’m always happy to get a sample sent my way.  I’d never heard of Brancott Winery before I got this wine, but the description sounded good and like I said, I like Sauvignon Blanc this time of year.

I didn’t really catch the hints of green in the glass, but the wine was certainly straw colored and given as how I’m not particularly familiar with gooseberry, I mostly got citrus on the nose.  On the palate the wine was full of citrus with a finish of lemon-grass.  Paired with a dinner of salmon and risotto, the Brancott B did a great job of cutting the richness of the risotto and the fattiness of the salmon.

My only real complaint with this wine is the cost.  While it’s certainly not a rip-off at $26, I feel as though I can get a quality Sauvignon Blanc for less.  That being said, I would still recommend this wine, especially for a dinner of seafood.

Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: New Zealand
Cost: $8

Light in color with a bright, acidic nose and flavors of Meyer lemons and Key limes in the mouth. Pairs well with seafood and creamy soups.

Recommendations: Ok, full disclosure, I picked up this wine at my local Costco while doing some shopping because the name of the vineyard caught my eye and I just couldn’t resist.  I figured it would be funny, and would give me the opportunity to write about a bad Sauvignon Blanc.  I was half right.

I’m not going to say that this is my favorite Sauvignon Blanc by any stretch of the imagination, but for an $8 wine that I can enjoy on the deck during the warm days of Spring and Summer while munching on some light food, it’s hard to beat the Cupcake Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc.

Good citrus flavors, though absent the grapefruit that I’ve come to love from South American Sauvignon Blanc, it was light and refreshing on a warm afternoon on the deck and the wife and I were rather surprised by it.  I’m not saying I’m going to rush off and buy a case of it, but I’d certainly consider picking it up again when I’m doing my regular shopping at Costco.

While you can certainly do better than this wine, and for not much more, you can also do a lot worse.  If you’re looking for a cheap deck wine it’s worth a try, especially for the price.

Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: California – USA
Cost: $11

Light color with aromas of citrus that are also found on the palate.  Refreshing and crisp, pairs well with seasoned white meat, creamy dishes, cheese, or by itself.

Recommendations: I’d picked up this bottle a while back with an idea of what I would be pairing it with – leftovers from Christmas dinner.  My wife took the leftover ham we had and combined it with some scalloped potatoes and cream soups to make a nice, hearty casserole that used up the leftovers and created new ones at the same time.

The crispness of the wine did an excellent job of cutting through some of the salt from the pork and the creaminess of the casserole itself.  That, coupled with the flavors of lemon, lime, and grapefruit (which surprised me with its presence), helped make a heavier dish feel less so.

My usual guide to whether or not I like a wine is if I can enjoy it without pairing it with food – a test that Sauvignon Blanc as a whole typically holds up to.  This one was no exception.  If you’re in the market for a light white wine that you can find in most grocery stores, this is a good one to keep in mind.  Definitely worth the $10 – $13 you’ll spend on it.

Light and crisp, with flavors of tropical fruit and citrus.  Light on the nose with a more golden color than is typical for Sauvignon Blanc.  Pairs well with chicken, pork, or seafood.

Recommendation: I bought this mostly out of a desire to try something new, and because I wanted something to pair with the pork chops I knew I was having for dinner that night.  While the Spier Sauvignon Blanc isn’t my favorite, it has certainly opened me up to the world of South African Sauvignon Blancs in a very positive light.

Not nearly as citrusy as the Sauvignon Blancs from South America or even New Zealand, this white wine paired well with my grilled pork chops.  I’m not sure if this would work as well for a lighter meal of appetizers or with something overly spicy, but as an alternative to Pinot Grigio or for those that don’t enjoy the citrus of many Sauvignon Blancs, this is a good pick.  For the price it’s hard to pass up, especially if you’re interested in trying wine from South Africa.