I’m not sure how your summer’s been, but the staff of The Hungry Southerner has been roasting! After several days of temperatures in the 90’s, a cool white wine is a great way to beat the heat on a warm summer night. We’ve got two great options that are light, crisp and refreshing. The first is a Sauvignon Blanc from Cupcake Vineyards, recommended by one of our readers back in May. Thanks Kevin! The second is a Trinty Oaks Pinot Grigio. Give them both a try and let us know your favorite.
The 2009 Sauvignon Blanc from Cupcake Vineyards is from Marlborough, New Zealand. It’s 13% ABV, with a light yellow color and a lemony aroma. The flavor is clean with pronounced citrus notes, slight astringency and a well-balanced acidity. There’s a definite lack of oakiness, which lends to the refreshing crispness of the wine. We drank it with a garlic cream sauce with mussels over pasta and it was delicious.
The Trinity Oaks is a 2009 Pinot Grigio from the Trinchero Family Estates in Napa, California. It’s 13.5% ABV and has very light, floral aroma. As expected, it’s lighter in flavor than the Sauvignon Blanc and the high alcohol produces a pleasant “puckery” aftertaste. This wine would be great served with a simple appetizer of cheese, crackers and fruit. I was happy to learn that Trinity Oaks uses recycled paper to print their wine bottle labels and most interestingly, the winery will plant a tree for each bottle purchased. Check out this great program at www.onebottleonetree.com.
From the front porch swing, Mark D.
The Hungry Southerner 
I’m a big fan of Shafer Red Shoulder Ranch chard.
Ooh…I’ll have to try the Cupcake Savignon. I’ve had the Chardonnay and found it super sweet.
The Cupcake Sauvignon sounds wonderful, but I have always preferred the sweeter wines. This especially includes the ones that accompany cheese and hors d’oeuvres. These both sound like something I will try in the near future.
The Cupcake is a really refreshing summer wine. I don’t even like whites, but it ain’t bad.
I will definitely give the Cupcake a try but am not a big fan of Pinot Grigio’s. I love your wine articles and look forward to them, keep them coming. I will get back to you after I give Cupcake a taste test.