REVIEW: Loveblock Sauvignon Blanc 2013

It is time to dust off the grill folks, get out the wire brush and clean off the remnants of the last BBQ of last season and fire it up! Spring is definitely in the air and the evenings are warmer and it is time for some serious patio time. You don’t have to wait until the weekend to treat yourself to some treats on the grill. Why wait? You can manage a BBQ, just keep things light and simple and have that mid-week glass of wine. Picture it now, you are standing in front of your grill, spatula or tongs or whatever weapon-of-choice you use for some grillin’ out in one hand and wine glass in the other. So now, what to make and what wine to have? Let me help you out.

Here is the perfectly devised plan.

Before you leave the office, how about you send off a text or give a call to your significant other or roommate and tell them to get the grill ready, cause you are about to do some shopping for a great dinner. The wine for this night which will be the best with what you are about to prepare is the Loveblock 2013 Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand.

Meal Pairing

Head to the grocery, but only the one who has the best choice in fresh fish. Grab yourself a couple 8 ounce fillets of halibut or even something a little heartier like red or pink snapper or flounder.

Next, head to the vegetable aisle, pick out some kumquats. You only need a handful. That is right, we’re switching it up! Lemons are so predictable and boring!

Next, a couple juicy limes and lemon grass. If you don’t know what it is, just ask someone. Grab about 3-4 stalks. Get a bunch of cilantro and get some mild extra-virgin olive oil if you don’t have any at home. Get a roll of parchment paper and head to the ethnic aisle and get some of those clear-looking ‘glass noodles’, the really thin rice noodles, almost like vermicelli. And in the same aisle, get some fish sauce. If you have never tried it, don’t worry, I will tell you how to use it in your cooking and your Asian cooking will never be the same again without it.

So you get home. First, make sure the wine is chilling and fill up a large pot of water and get it boiling. Salt the water generously. Clean off the lemon grass and just slice it four ways right down the center lengthwise and then in half. Leave about 4 of the pieces to the side for the fish. The rest, drop it in the boiling water.

For the fish, this is going to be so easy. Clean and slice up the kumquats, and the limes as thin as you can. Get two big pieces of your parchment, big enough for you to wrap up the fish. Pour just a little of the mild extra-virgin olive oil over each paper and spread it around the area where you will place the fillets. Lay down the fillets, give them a light dusting of salt and a few turns of the pepper grinder, place the strips of lemon grass down on top, then the slices of kumquat and lime. Drizzle just a bit more olive oil on top and make a nice, neat little pouch with the parchment paper, closing it very well. Now you can go out to the grill, make sure the heat is fairly low to medium and put the pouches on the top shelf and close the grill. These will only need about 10 minutes and now you can tend to the noodles.

The water should be boiling by now. Remove the lemon grass stalks and grab a large empty mixing bowl. Put the dry rice noodles in there and pour over the boiling water, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside. They only need about five minutes. Chop up the cilantro and when you strain the noodles, toss it together with some olive oil and the cilantro, some salt and pepper and about 1-2 tablespoons of fish sauce. You are done. Now you can grab that glass of chilled Loveblock Sauvignon Blanc out of your wine fridge and go stand out by the grill. Don’t forget your tongs! Once the fish is done, dinner is served and all in about only 20 minutes flat!

The Taste

This wine is particularly great with such light and easy Asian-style cuisine. It is organically grown and the people at Loveblock wines love to allow their vines to live among the natural flora, letting the vines compete for what they need. This results in not just your average New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. This Sauv Blanc is what I would say, almost rustic with a wild character and balanced nuances. It has a structure closer to a medium-bodied wine rather than a lighter style, as they put part of the batch through malolactic fermentation to add character and structure that contrasts with the signature acidity of Sauvignon Blanc wine.

This one presents layers of citrus both on the nose and on the palate with finishes of fresh tropical fruits as if you are picking them from the local market yourself of pineapple and passionfruit. The end leaves you with a sharp, yet refreshing acidity to carry the perfume of the exotic notes a bit longer. It is sure to pair lovely with the citrus flavor of the grilled fish and lemongrass scented noodles.