BOTTLESERVICE56 AUGUST 2020
HAT’S THE BEST WINE for
that height-of-summer,
straight-from-the-
farmers-market pile-of-
glorious-leafy-greens
salad you just made?
The answer: It depends. And what it
really depends on is what kind of dress-
ing you’re putting on that salad.
When it comes to leafy salads, the
classic “it’s not the meat; it’s the sauce”
suggestion for pairing wine with steak
transfers over quite seamlessly. Love a
tart vinaigrette? Creamy, ranch-style
dressing? Sweet sesame-ginger? Con-
sider this: The tanginess, creaminess,
and light sweetness of each of those
styles, respectively, will affect the flavor
of the wine you pour. Now, is it a make-
or-break situation, where your dinner
guests will throw down their napkins
in horror if you don’t pick something
that goes absolutely effortlessly with
the food you’ve made? Of course not.
(And if they do, they’re really not peo-
ple you should keep spending time
with.) Look at it this way: Thinking
about what wine goes best with a
specific type of food is fun—it’s a game
for the senses, one that can have deli-
cious results.
Don’t believe me that something as
simple as a salad dressing can change
the way a wine tastes? Check it out
yourself—with one of the great bottles
recommended here.WTart, acidic dressings go best with
super-tart wines, like Sauvignon
Blanc. The higher acidity in the
food wins out on your palate and
will actually make the wine taste
fruitier and less acidic. Next time,
taste the wine, then the dressing
on its own, then the wine again—
the change is eye-opening.2018 ST. SUPÉRY NAPA
VALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANC
($ 22 )
Tangy lime marmalade flavors
shoot through this fresh, appeal-
ing white from a well-respected
Napa Valley producer.2018 MARCHESI DI GRÉSY
LANGHE SAUVIGNON ($ 22 )
This Italian producer is
known for Barbaresco, but
they also make this crisp
white. Cool, minty notes with
sweet lemon flavors make it
a surprise winner.2019 GREYWACKE
MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON
BLANC ($ 23 )
Kevin Judd makes one of New
Zealand’s best Sauvignon
Blancs: refined yet intense,
with citrus peel and sweet
grapefruit notes throughout.2019 HONIG SAUVIGNON
BLANC ($ 20 )
Honig has been making great
Sauvignon Blanc for 40 years
now, and 2019 is no exception.
Think fresh herbs, grapefruit
cordial, and juicy melon notes.2019 ALMA DE CATTLEYA
SONOMA COUNTY
SAUVIGNON BLANC ($ 22 )
Winemaker Bibiana González
Rave ferments this lemon-
blossomy Sauvignon in neutral
French oak to enrich its texture
without adding oak flavors.SAUVIGNON BLANC WITH VINAIGRETTES