Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon

The most important factor in determining the taste of a wine is the grape variety from which it is made. The "Guides to Grape Varieties" series looks at each of the major grape varieties and assesses wines made all over the world from that variety. The focus of the series is primarily on flavour and quality. Each volume includes background information on the grape variety and advice on the best way to buy, store and serve the wines made from it. An extensive gazetteer lists the main wines made from the variety in Europe, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand. A special feature of this series is the individual ratings given for quality, price and best recent vintages. Sauvignon blanc and Semillon are two white grape varieties originating in Bordeaux which, independently, produce good dry white wines not only in their homeland, but also in the Loire, Australia, New Zealand and California. It is in combination, however, that they make their masterpieces: the honeyed sweet wines of Sauternes and, produced in tiny quantities, the great dry white Graves. This book provides a guide to the top white Bordeaux, both dry and sweet, currently undergoing a renaissance.
There is also coverage of the Loire, where Sauvignon Blanc makes Sancerre and Pouilly fume; Australia, where unblended dry Semillon reaches its apogee in the Hunter Valley; New Zealand, where dry Sauvignon has come to the fore; California, just beginning to make internationally interesting Sauvignon blanc; and other spots on the globe, from Chile to Israel, where these two versatile grapes are grown.