Attributes:

French Rabbit

Vin de Pays d'Oc, France

Cabernet Sauvignon

750 ML

2005: WineEnthusiast Rating: 83

solid

2005: WineSpectator Rating: 82

simple

dense

Food Matches:

(cab er nay saw vee nyon)—This highly adaptable grape grows almost anywhere it is relatively warm, but the best wines come from the Burgundy region of France (where it is a noble variety), California, and Australia. It became famous through the red wines of the Médoc district of Bordeaux and is now grown in Washington, southern France, Italy, Australia, South Africa, Chile, and Argentina. Cabernet Sauvignon grapes make wines that are high in tannin and medium- to full-bodied. Usually identified as having black currant or cassis flavors, the grape can also possess vegetal tones when the grapes are less than ideally ripe. The best wines are rich and firm with great depth, and are often aged for fifteen years or more. Because it is highly tannic, Cabernet Sauvignon is often blended with other less-tannic grapes such as Merlot.

Attributes:

Rosemount Estate

Australia, Australia/New Zealand

Chardonnay

1.5 L

2004: WineSpectator Rating: 87

lively, tangy

2003: WineEnthusiast Rating: 84

stone fruit

2003: WineSpectator Rating: 85

bright, lively

lemon, peach

2002: WineSpectator Rating: 85

soft

2000: WineSpectator Rating: 85

straightforward

tasty

apple, melon

ripe

1999: WineSpectator Rating: 86

nectarine, pear, spice

1999: WineEnthusiast Rating: 85

solid

straightforward

apple, peach, toast

smooth

1999: Tastings Rating: 89

medium body

apple, butter, buttery, vanilla

open

Food Matches:

In the past few decades Australia’s wine industry has transformed itself into one of the most technologically advanced in the world. A combination of a generally warm, dry climate and a cultural affinity for creating, rather than following, tradition has resulted in wines that are soft and pleasant to drink from an early age. They are the epitome of user-friendliness. Australia’s wine regions are mainly in the southern, cooler part of the country, clustered mainly in the state of Victoria, the southern part of South Australia and the cooler parts of New South Wales. Syrah, or Shiraz as it is known there, is the top grape, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Semillon. The wines are generally listed with the name of their grape variety, which must constitute at least 85 percent of the wine. Although Australia’s winemaking region is vast, most labels indicate only that their contents come from South Eastern Australia. Flavor is indicated by the variety of grape used to make the wine. Australia’s classification system is generally lax when it comes to quality and labeling. Some bottles indicate a specific state of origin (New South Wales, Victoria, or South Australia), or a region within a state, but these smaller zones are still being decided.

(shar dohn nay)—This noble grape’s reputation was established in France, particularly in the Burgundy region, and the highly prized Chardonnay wines from Chablis, Mâcon, Mersault, and Pouilly-Fuissé are imitated by winemakers around the world. Generally an oaked wine (whether from expensive oak barrels or a quick soak in oak chips), its fruity aromas and flavors range from apple in the cooler regions to tropical fruits such a pineapple in the warmer regions. It can also display subtle earthy aromas, such as mushroom or minerals. It has a medium to high acidity and is generally full-bodied. Classical Chardonnay wines are dry. Chardonnay is also an important grape in the Champagne district where it's picked before fully ripe and while it still has high acid and understated fruit flavors—the perfect combination for champagne. California has adopted this grape with a fervor and there are some 200 wineries producing Chardonnay wines in other parts of the United States. Chardonnay has also seen a tremendous planting surge in Australia, and new vineyards are being planted in Italy, Lebanon, New Zealand, Spain, and South Africa.

Attributes:

Konrad

Marlborough, Australia/New Zealand

Sauvignon Blanc

750 ML

2004: WineAdvocate Rating: 88

spicy nose

medium-bodied

2004: WineSpectator Rating: 91

bright, lively

rich

lime, mineral, nectarine

juicy

2004: NatDecants Rating: 90

zesty

classic

creamy

2003: WineSpectator Rating: 89

bright, lively, tangy

2003: WineAdvocate Rating: 89

medium-bodied

rich

green apple, lime

juicy

2002: WineSpectator Rating: 87

tart

2002: Tanzer Rating: 86

not complex, supple

citrus, melon, pear

2002: Tastings Rating: 85

medium-bodied

ripe, sweet

Food Matches:

Comes mostly from California, France, New Zealand, and South Africa. Its highly acidic wines are often suggestive of herbs or grass. Light to medium bodied and usually dry, European versions are generally not oaky while California Sauvignon Blanc can take on many of the qualities of Chardonnay. France has two classic wine regions for the Sauvignon Blanc gape: Bordeaux and the Loire Valley The Bordeaux wine is called Bordeaux Blanc and the two best known of the Loire wines are called Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé. In Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc is sometimes blended with Sémillon.

When the first growers planted grapes in Marlborough in the 1970s (there is evidence of plantings as early as 1870s), it is unlikely they would have foreseen the extent of the growth and fame that the region’s wine industry would achieve, based upon a single varietal called Sauvignon Blanc. The distinctive pungency and zest fruit flavours of the first Marlborough wines, in particular Sauvignon Blanc, captured the imagination of the country's winemakers as well as international wine commentators and consumers and sparked an unparalleled boom in vineyard development. Worldwide interest in Marlborough wines, particularly Sauvignon Blanc, has continued to fuel that regional wine boom.