International Wines of Mystery!

Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc’s origins — in true French wine world fashion — is a contested issue. Both the Loire Valley and Bordeaux are eager to call their region the grape’s home. In the Loire, both Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé use Sauvignon Blanc for their signature white wines. In addition, you find the grape throughout the rest of the region. Further south, the classic Bordeaux white is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.

Of course, the big name in Sauvignon Blanc is New Zealand, especially the Marlborough region on the northeastern edge of the south island. From finding their footing in the 1980s, Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs have become an internationally recognized phenomenon, so much so that most Americans probably associate the grape more with New Zealand rather than with its native France.

Pinot Noir
By 2016, Pinot Noir was the sixth most-planted grape variety in the world. Originally from France, it’s a bit of a chameleon — its wines producing distinctly different characteristics depending on where its grown. You can find it in Alsace and moving over into Germany and Austria. Burgundy claims the grape for its signature wines. It’s also found prominence in New Zealand and Chile.

Of course, California, Washington State, and Oregon (roughly sharing a latitude zone with France) have all become homes of Pinot Noir on this continent. Wine importers first brought Pinot Noir to California in the early 1850s, right after the territory became a state. From the outskirts of San Francisco, grape growers spread Pinot Noir north. It reached Washington in 1941, and it was first planted in Oregon in 1961 at the start of the state’s modern wine history. However, Pinot Noir fans say that Oregon’s true Pinot Noir history began in 1965 when David Lett made its first plantings in the Willamette Valley.

Please join us this Friday as guest pourer Marilee from distributor Banville Wine Merchants pours wines from these two worldly grapes. This is a free walk-up tasting. Come by any time between 5:00 and 6:30 PM.