Catfish blanc

Explorador Sauvignon Blanc
Photograph by Melody Flammger

2010 Explorador Sauvignon Blanc

See/Swirl: This wine, like most Sauvignon blancs is very light color.  This is probably due to the young age of the wine.  Swirling reveals that the wine has definite legs and these are indicative of the 13.5% alcohol content listed on the bottle.

Sniff: I get definite lemon zest, apple skins and another bitter, sour smell I can't put my finger on.  I think it's gooseberry (a classic descriptor of Sauvignon blanc).

Sip: The flavor is lemony and acidic with light fruit on the back end.  I've previously referred to this wine as being a lemonade replacement and this one lives up to the name due to its tartness and lemon notes.

Citrus Dill Catfish

Citrus Dill Catfish with Steamed Vegetables and Garlic Flatbread
Photograph by Melody Flammger

The first word out of my mouth after tasting this was "Meh."  The flavors canceled each other out. The dill was too subtle a flavor to stand against the bright flavors in the sauvignon blanc and there wasn't enough fat in the fish to balance out the acidity in the wine.  The whole thing fell flat for me.  This is a learning experience though. Pairing flavors that seem similar to each other can cause problems is pairings.  Sometimes they work out spectacularly and others they don't.  This is a learning experience.

Garlic Flatbread


I knew that the two would go together, so the whole meal was not a miss.  The acidity in the wine enhanced the garlic flavor and the fat in the cheese was enough to buffer the acidity in the wine.  Because of that acidity being brought into balance, the fruit flavors in the wine came forward and the pairing transformed.