As temperatures rise and seemingly hang naturally in the 90 degree range and heavy humidity holds much of the nation hostage, each has his or her own arsenal to combat the dog days of summer.   In the world of wine, however, when long heat waves take hold, red wine is left to cellar and instead crisp white wines take their place amidst rosés in the parade of appropriate summertime wines.

Sauvignon Blanc leads the charge with its characteristic crisp acidity and refreshing citrus notes for summer white wines.   My personal preference is to select a Sauvignon Blanc which masters the delicate dance with the grape’s natural acidity such that it offers refreshing citrus notes, a perfect dash of crispness and by no means will make me (or my guests) pucker.   Once found, a beautifully balanced wine is sure to entertain.

Hall winery (“Hall”), located in Napa Valley, offers its “T Bar T Ranch Sauvignon Blanc” which is of such caliber that when served chilled, delightfully refreshes yet shows a bit more depth.   The grapes for this wine actually are not grown in Napa Valley, but Alexander Valley in a vineyard known as T Bar T Ranch.   Alexander Valley, located in northern Sonoma County, is an American Viticultural Area (“AVA”) which experiences warmer temperatures as it is not as prone to fog as other parts of wine country.  The region is versatile enough due to its microclimates to grow a range of grapes well (from Sauvignon Blanc to Cabernet Sauvignon).  The T Bar T Ranch vineyard specifically has its own microclimates and is located in the eastern mountains of Sonoma County in the Alexander Valley AVA.  Due to its own varied microclimates and volcanic complex soil composition, T Bar T Ranch is recognized for producing highly concentrated fruit. 

Knowing that the fruit from this vineyard will be highly concentrated, it is a given that its Sauvignon Blanc will show off more complexity than the average competitor’s.   Pouring Hall’s T Bar T Ranch Sauvignon Blanc into the glass, it is aromatic of Meyer Lemon, citrus blossom and cucumber.   Taking a sip, the palate is greeted by delicious minerality, lemongrass, soft tropical fruit and a delicate whisper of honey and marzipan on the finish.   The wine is characterized by notable acidity but not such that it overwhelms the palate.

While Sauvignon Blanc pairs magnificently with much seafood (in particular, oysters), it also pairs famously with tomatoes picked fresh from the garden due to its infamous acidity.   My vegetable garden is thriving this summer and is presently loaded with heirloom cherry tomatoes, various cucumbers, onions and zucchini.   All of these are prolific producers and provide for healthy summer meal combinations which intuitively pair well with Sauvignon Blanc.   Taking this into consideration and the wish to create a refreshing light summer meal, this week’s menu hosts:

1)       Parmesan Flan With Heirloom Cherry Tomato-Cucumber Relish; and

2)     Grilled Garden Zucchini With Garlic-Shallot Sauté.

Last summer when I featured another favorite Sauvignon Blanc, I stuffed large heirloom tomatoes from the garden to serve as a main course with the wine.  Those same tomatoes are presently on the vine, but will ripen later this summer.   In the interim, however, I have a variety of heirloom cherry tomatoes ready for use which include, among others, Sungold and Sweet Baby Girl.    The cherry tomatoes from my garden have a delicious sweet robust flavor and each type has a different acidity level.   Slicing them and combining them with minced cucumber from the garden along with a medley of finely shredded basil leaves creates a simple flavorful relish to top light, healthy Parmesan Flan.   Texturally, the light fluffy nature of the flan is compatible with the light nature of the wine; while the acidity of the Heirloom Cherry Tomato-Cucumber Relish pairs perfectly with the acidity typical of Sauvignon Blanc.

Slicing zucchini from the garden and brushing them with a Meyer Lemon olive oil, the slices are then quickly and easily grilled to create a delicious side dish.   To give a bit of a zip to the dish, shallots from the garden are minced, to be combined with minced garlic and softly sautéed with freshly picked thyme.  The combination of flavors creates a degree of depth that is warm, semi-sweet and inviting.

Nearly all of the ingredients for this meal came directly from the vegetable garden, allowing summer seasonality to show off in its entire splendor.   While the recipes are relatively simple, the fresh flavors of vegetables and herbs from the garden take center stage to create a light yet vibrant display of flavors on the palate.

The meal and wine can easily be served as a starting course or as an afternoon lunch on a summer patio to entertain friends.   It is a blissful summer affair of light and fresh summer flavors which masquerade as gourmet on your guests’ palates while having ever simply been pulled moments before from the garden by your own hand.