GLOBAL SAUVIGNON BLANC

The past two decades of food-and-wine tasting and pairing has not been lost on the growing numbers of chefs, sommeliers and restaurant owners in our region, and one beneficial outcome is their desire to embrace seasonal foods and appropriate wines to match. In many Lower Mainland restaurants, that makes May the month to lighten up -- menus and wine lists are transformed to embrace the warmer days of spring and summer. It seems appropriate to get the same process under way at home. When you want clean, fresh, flavourful whites, there's nothing like sauvignon blanc. For today's column, I canvassed listings from around the globe, and then chose six labels, all selling for less than $15, in a search for sauvignon blancs that deserve to be in the fridge all summer. This varietal hasn't yet supplanted chardonnay as the white grape most consumers reach for, but it's more than shed its former image as the poor man's chardonnay. In fact, when given little or no oak aging, sauvignon doesn't taste or smell anything like chardonnay. One of its best traits is flexibility in food matching. All you need is a little practice to discover which dishes do best alongside this perfect summer sipper. Pairing possibilities include everything from seafood antipasto to fish in cream sauces, or Mediterranean-style fish and chicken. Halibut, sable fish, bass and tuna seem well matched to this grape, whether it's made in a very fruity style, or when it's the drier, more citrus, grassy/smoky type of sauvignon, which plays off the more oily fishes. These picks come from three continents, and all are reasonably priced. (The Two Oceans, from South Africa, is a giveaway.) The consumer's fun task is to find the one or two they like best, and then pour them all summer. Here's how I rated them: The J. & F. Lurton sauvignon is a blend of grapes grown in several districts of Bordeaux. It's machine-picked at night, cold-fermented and then left for a few months on fine lees in the tank. It has crisp, dry flavours with hints of gooseberry, grapefruit and almonds. This is an excellent seafood wine. The Casa Lapostolle, from Chile's Rapel Valley, contains about 10 per cent sémillon. Intensive grape growing has yielded a lower crop, and a more open canopy on the vines helps produce riper fruit. The nose is typically aromatic and pungent (almost sweaty), offering citrus, herb and grapefruit flavours. It's rounder and softer on the palate than you might expect, thanks to the sémillon. This is a solid effort from an excellent vintage in Chile. Concha y Toro's Casillero del Diablo 2001 sauvignon was the star of a recent tasting in Vancouver. Fresh, dry and clean, it mixes melon and grapefruit flavours in perfect balance. It's all you could want in an inexpensive sauvignon and one that would pair well with B.C. shellfish. Two Oceans is a large commercial brand made by South Africa conglomerate Distell, but its price/quality ratio makes it attractive to bargain hunters. Its sauvignon grapes come from the coastal region of the Cape, a thin strip of land flanked by the confluence of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Cool sea breezes keep the fruit fresh and lively. Round, soft and light, it finishes slightly sweet. This one should be a big hit on the patio. The Santa Rita Reserva Sauvignon Blanc is also Chilean, from the Maule region south of Santiago. Expect bright and tangy grapefruit flavours with hints of green pepper and pineapple. This is another sauvignon to drink now and all summer. Bellingham Sauvignon Blanc is another South African contender (this grape is surely the Cape's best emerging varietal), one that smells and tastes a bit Kiwi-like. Fruit from young vines grown at fairly high altitude shows a cool-climate influence, with lifted green nettle, bell pepper and citrus aromas, and mid-weight mouth feel. It's zippy, lean and refreshing on the palate. Sun wine columnist Anthony Gismondi is also co-host of The Best of Food and Wine, which airs at noon each Saturday on CFUN 1410 AM. SAUVIGNON BLANC Producer: Jacques et François Lurton, Bordeaux, France Price: $12.95 Stock No.: 489070 Score: 15/20 Comments: Classic dry, grapefruit flavours; nutty finish. Producer: Casa Lapostolle 2001, Rapel Valley, Chile Price: $14.45 Stock No.: 396994 Score: 14/20 Comments: Pungent sweaty asparagus flavours. Producer: Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo 2001, Central Valley, Chile Price: $12.45 Stock No.: 578641 Score: 14.5/20 Comments: Lovely fruit, weight and balance. Drink now. Producer: Two Oceans 2001, Western Cape, South Africa Price: $9.95 Stock No.: 340380 Score: 13/20 Comments: Soft, simple, with a touch of sweetness. Producer: Santa Rita Reserva 2001, Maule, Chile Price: $13.95 Stock No.: 275677 Score: 13.5/20 Comments: Classic cat pee on a gooseberry bush. Producer: Bellingham 2001, Coastal Region, South Africa Price: $12.95 Stock No.: 596692 Score: 14.5/20 Comments: Kiwi-like, with asparagus and lime-rind flavours.