Some of you would ask as this point, is there such a thing as a White Meritage? Others might ask, should there be? Essentially, it’s pretty much the same thing as a white Bordeaux blend.
So what exactly is a white Meritage (rhymes with heritage)? According to The Meritage Association:
“To qualify as a White Meritage, a wine must be a blend of at least two of three specific white “noble” varieties – Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon or Muscadelle du Bordelais. No single variety can make up more than 90% of the blend.”
So what then makes a white Bordeaux blend? According to whoever was the last guy or gal to update the Wikipedia page on Bordeaux wine:
“White Bordeaux is predominantly, and exclusively in the case of the sweet Sauternes, made from Sémillon, Sauvignon blanc and Muscadelle. Typical blends are usually 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc.”
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In the case of our perfect pairing, we’re talking about Alibi 2013, a blend of 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Semillon, from Black Hills Winery from western Canada’s Okanagan Valley. So the purist would say we’re looking at a white Meritage. BUT would that require certification or some such from the fine folks at the Meritage Association? I would suspect so. Suffice it to say though that in essence, Alibi would be put in bed with the white Meritages of the world first. But I digress…
What we really have here is a gorgeous wine, surprisingly so from a tiny slit of a valley north of the US border and tucked between the coastal and Rocky Mountains, far away from pretty much anything and everything. Full of bright notes of pears and tropicality, and with acidity on the palate keeping it so very food friendly, it makes for a smashing success when put alongside something like the salad niçoise the love of my life whipped up with the Julia Childs-like ease.
