Entrée: Baked Fish Fillet with Tomatoes and Mushrooms
Wines from the New World wine region, which would pair well with an entrée that is selected above are the following:
Red Tail Ridge Estate Dry Riesling 2014 (Riesling from New York);
Smoke Tree Chardonnay 2015 (Chardonnay from Sonoma County, California);
Babich Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 (Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand)
Characteristics of the taste, smell and color of the Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand:
According to our tasting note, the appearance of 2015 Sauvignon Blanc is clear; pale yellow color; with a brightness of day bright and low viscosity. On the nose, it is clean; medium high intensity; has a strong smell of grapefruit, melon and passion fruit; no evidence of oak; vinous; and the alcohol level is medium low. Moreover, on the palate, it is also clean; medium high intensity; has a strong taste of grapefruit, gooseberry, lime, blackcurrant and some other tropical fruits; sweetness level is dry; no evidence of tannin or wood; light bodied; and lastly, the balance is fresh and lingering. This wine can be well paired with Baked Fish Fillet with Tomatoes and Mushrooms, in addition to foods like goat cheese.
Viticulture/Vinification Practices: Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough (South Island), New Zealand
Climate: Cool climate conditions, marked diurnal (day/night) temperature variations which are the key to the unique character of Marlborough grapes. (MacNeil, 2015).
Soil: Vineyards are primarily situated on sites with moderate to low fertility with stony, sandy loam top soil overlaying deep layers of free-draining shingle (mix of clay and silt).
Topography: Planted mostly on plains; protected by Kaikoura Range (Cold Southerly Winds); and protected by North Island (North Easterly Winds).
Grape Varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay.
Harvest: Can take place anytime from March to May in the Southern Hemisphere, and grapes are harvested in the cool of the morning by machine.
Pressing: Juice is gently squeezed from the grapes in the wine presses and sent to either tanks or barrels.
Fermentation: Clear juice fermented with specialized yeast in tanks give the most fruit-expressive wines, while the cloudy juice naturally fermented in oak vessels has more emphasis on texture and complexity.
Aging: Dependent on the variety the wine may age in tanks or barrels until it reaches a harmonious stage in its development.
Stabilizing & Bottling: Once the wine is ready to blend, the components are combined in tanks. After settling, the wine is chilled to below freezing to prevent crystals appearing in the wine later. It is then filtered clear to remove any sediment. Finally, the finished wine is bottled and labeled. (Spy Valley Wine, 2016).
References
MacNeil, K. (2015). The Wine Bible (2nd Edition ed.). New York, New York, United States: Workman. Retrieved October 2017
Spy Valley Wine. (2016). From Wine To Wine . Retrieved from Spy Valley Wines: https://www.spyvalleywine.co.nz/secrets/wine-making-process-white/#jump
