In this corner, Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc from Touraine. And in that corner, Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux’s Graves. Let the competition begin! First, a straight tasting. And then pairing with Grilled Pesto Stuffed Chicken and an amazing fried goat cheese salad!

French Sauvignon Blanc

• 2021 Chateau Graville-Lacoste Graves Bordeaux 
• 2020 Les Vendanges de F. Chidane Sauvignon Blanc Touraine AOC

Menu

• Grilled Pesto Chicken Stuffed with Mushrooms, Asparagus, Sundried Tomatoes (recipe below)
  Sue made the pesto using nasturtiums from her garden.
• Fried Herbed Goat Cheese Salad with greens and tomatoes from my garden, fresh herbs from Sue’s
• Grilled Asparagus 

Recipe for Grilled Stuffed Pesto Chicken 

• This is a year long favorite at our house, but we especially enjoy it in late spring when both asparagus and nasturtiums are in season.

Ingredients:

• Pesto of choice
• Chicken breats
• Oyster mushrooms
• Sun dried tomatoes 
• Asparagus

Directions:

• You can get fancy but mostly we jus:
• Pat the chicken breasts dry
• Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper.
• Slather one side with pesto.
• Layer a few asparagus, mushrooms, and sliced sun dried tomatoes.
• Roll or wrap and secure with skewers that have been soaked in water.
• Grill (or bake) until done.
• Drizzle with pesto.
• Slice and serve as medallions or serve whole.

2021 Chateau Graville-Lacoste Graves, Bordeaux 

Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Muscadelle
ABV 12.0%
SRP Under $30
Importer Kermit Lynch
Sue purchased at Point de Chene, Ojai 

Story: Kermit Lynch imports this wine, which they say is composed of 75% Sémillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Muscadelle while another source says it’s Sauv Blanc…

Color: Pale lemon on the platinum side. Very clear, very pale

Aroma: Grasses, very herbacious, grapefruit, earthen, lime.

Palate: Tart lemon, salinity, tons of acidity, herbs present on the palate as well, fennel pollen, nice complexity, smooth texture mid palate. 

Pairing: Very nice with our very ripe goat cheese brie. We know from experience how well Sauvignon Blanc goes with goat cheese. This wine and the salad brings together all of the things that are amazing. Loves the umami of the tomato, the richness of the goat cheese and the pine nuts. This was a simple recipe but such an elevated experience with the wine. This wine loves the green elements in the meal. The asparagus and the pesto are so fantastic with the wine. The wine is so mellowed by the meal, and the meal is mellowed by the wine. A +1, +1. 

2020 Les Vendanges de F. Chidane Sauvignon Blanc Touraine AOC

ABV 13.5%
SRP Under $30
Importer Beaune Imports
Sue purchased at Point de Chene, Ojai 

Story: Located in Montlouis, the second generation François and Manuela Chidaine run the estate, and serve as leaders in natural viticulture, farming organically and biodynamically, and embracing “regnerative agriculture”, the no-till farming approach that utilizes “permanent cover crops of indigenous and sown plants coexist with the vines. By mimicking nature, the vines find their place in a complex ecosystem, allowing them to better express their place of origin. Additionally, by building soil, François improves the rate at which CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and converted into plant material and soil organic matter.”

Color: Pale lemon, on the yellow side

Aroma: Lemon custard, stone fruit, nectarine, creekside, flint, slylex, butter pastry,

Palate: Meyer Lemon custard, white flowers, infusion of the flower, butter cookies, French shortbread,

Pairing: We thought this would be nice with melon and procuitto. With goat cheese on my palate, I am a happy camper. The wine tames the over ripe goat cheese brie and is a perfect pairing. All of the elements in this salad are absolutely perfect with this wine. The wine is so much more on the sweet side with this chicken dish. This is a big wine wine, and the chicken dish is a big dish with so many layered flavors, both the wine and the dish were perfect together. 

Stay tuned for more Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa, Chile, and the US with this same menu, and in a few weeks, a DEEP dive into Chilean Sauvignon Blanc! In the meantime, check out these article from the French Winophiles and you’re invited to join our 8am Pacific Twitter Chat; discussion questions follow. 

• Camilla is making Vietnamese Summer Rolls with a Sauvignon Blanc from the Pays de la Loire at Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Wendy is whipping up a Shrimp Bisque and a Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux at A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Robin is pouring a Sauvignon Blanc from the small hamlet of Chavignol in Sancerre at Crushed Grape Chronicles
• Jane is Tasting Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc Paired with Smoked Salmon Crostini at Always Ravenous
• Jeff is preparing a Surprise! Sauvignon Blanc from Bourgogne at Food Wine Click!
• Gwendolyn is Comparing 2 French Sauvignon Blanc: Loire vs Bordeaux with Grilled Pesto Stuffed Chicken at Wine Predator
• Katrina is toasting to Let’s Give Some Love to French Sauvignon Blanc… From Bordeaux at Corkscrew Concierge
• Linda is writing about Holy Snails! A Summer Sauv Blanc worth sipping slowly at My Full Wine Glass
• Deanna is frying Sole Meuniere Paired with Sancerre at Wineivore

Winophiles Twitter Chat on the Sauvignon Blancs of France coming up Sat 7/16 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT. Join the conversation with host @wineivore using hashtag #winophiles. 

8am Welcome to the #winophiles chat on the Sauvignon Blancs of France! Introduce yourself and where you are tweeting from. Share a link to your blog if applicable.

805 Q1 How much Sauvignon Blanc do you drink?  What are your thoughts on this grape?  Is it your go to wine, bargain wine, summer sipper, or something else? #winophiles

815 Q2   What French Sauvignon Blanc did you choose to write about today?  What region in France was it from?  Share a link to your post, so we can read about it! #winophiles 

820 Q3 Please share a fun fact, something interesting, or something new that you learned about the Sauvignon Blanc from France you chose. #winophiles 

830 Q4 Did you serve food with your Sauvignon Blanc?  Show us some photos!  How did the pairing turn out?  What food would you try with the wine next time?  #winophiles

835 Q5 Let’s compare and contrast. How does the French wine you tried compare to other Sauvignon Blancs you’ve tried from other parts of the world?  #winophiles

840 Q6 Let’s talk about price.  Depending on the region and age, French Sauvignon Blanc has a wide price range.  Was your wine good value for the price you paid?  Would you recommend it to a friend?  #winophiles

850 Q7  Share your parting thoughts on French Sauvignon Blancs. What region in France do you want to try a Sauvignon Blanc from next?  

855 Shoutout to @culinary_cam  @foodwineclick @always_ravenous @wendyklik @artpredator @corksconcierge @crushgrapechron @linda_lbwcsw @wineivore  for joining the conversation on French sauv blanc!  #winophiles

9 Thanks for joining the July 2022 #winophiles chat on French Sauvignon Blancs and thanks to host @wineivore. Next month we’ll drink #organic wines of Languedoc.  Join Jeff @foodwineclick of the Food Wine Click blog as he hosts the twitter conversation in August!