Classic Wines

Sauvignon Blanc goes well with shellfish, but do you know the differences in taste from Sauvignon Blanc around the world?Today Randy Torban gives us a quick lesson on sauvignon blancs from around the world. He gives you quick tips from wines from New Zealand, the U.S. and France. All delicious, but slightly different in their approach.

South Africa is producing some very interesting white wines. From the unique labels to the distinctive taste, these wines offer a refreshing version of Sauvignon Blanc that is definitely worth a try. Brian Freedman reviews two South African wines in a head to head showdown.

Classic Wines visits Paumanok Vineyard in Long Island to taste their 2005 Sauvignon Blanc Late Harvest wine. Second generation winemaker, Kareem Massoud, tells us of the history behind this refreshing Sauvignon Blanc.

In an intriguing twist of winemaking fate, the Massoud family was forced to deal with an outbreak of noble rot. After much deliberation and anxiety, Kareem and his parents turned this potential disaster into one of their finest dry wines. This Sauvignon Blanc is such a success, they have trouble keeping it on the shelves.

Winemaking in Long Island at Paumanok Vineyards is a family affair. Like a lot of the wineries in the Long Island New York area everyone in the family learns every aspect of the business; from harvesting the grapes to bottling the wine. We spoke with Kareem Massoud of the Paumanok Vineyards during the harvest of the sauvignon blanc grapes. Join us to learn more.

What does your wine smell like? Vanilla, butter, how about green pepper? Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc all have complex descriptions and aromas. We visit with The Wine School of Philadelphia to found out how and where all these aromas come from. Join us as Brian Freedman speaks with Keith Wallace about the smells, descriptions and tastes of wine.

When the mercury soars, few wines are more refreshing--or delicious with summertime food--than sauvignon blanc. And with some of the best values these days coming out of Chile and Argentina, we decided to pit two titans of South American wine production against each other in this week's Weekly Wine Showdown. Both the Casa Lapostolle 2005 and the Montes Limited Selection 2005 Leyda Valley showed bright notes of citrus fruit and that telltale grassy aroma. But in the end, the winner was clear, and only one of these two wines reigned supreme.

Pairing shellfish and white wine may seem like a no-brainer, but with the wide range of whites available today, it's more difficult than you might think. Fortunately, you can always look to a good, mineral-rich Sauvignon Blanc. It's a bit of a chameleon, growing austere and subtle with oysters and fruity and a bit fleshy with spicy shrimp. Check out this episode for more on this classic food and wine pairing.

A marathon tasting! Few wines pair better with seafood than Sauvignon Blanc, and no country is producing it better these days than New Zealand. In this episode, Brian raids the cellar of the Philadelphia seafood institution Bookbinder's, tastes four Sav Blancs, and gives you a primer on everything you need to know about the land even further down under than the land down under.