A lively sauvignon blanc, bright and citrusy. Notes of grapefruit, herbs and mineral with a hint of jalapeno. Creamy texture.

Light and crisp, with flavors of limes and minerals.

Slightly frontal and lightly and brightly fruity with suggestions of kiwi and grapefruit but little in the way of the grassy/weedy side of the variety, this slightly rounded, medium-bodied bottling has more than enough clean, firm charm to earn its spurs as a useful mate to baked chicken or lighter seafood dishes.

The coastal counties northwest of San Francisco Bay can produce some of the most balanced and flavorful Sauvignon Blanc in the Golden State. Kendall-Jackson's Grand Reserve offers a nose of grassy hay, fig, gooseberry and citrus, with notes of sweet pear and vanilla. Bright citrus and herb flavors refresh the palate for the next delectable oyster.

Fruit forward and authoritative. Yummy with a sweet smell.

What's most delightful about this widely available California Sauvignon Blanc is that it doesn't try to hide the herbal, grassy nature of the grape. It celebrates it, with Lake County fruit that delivers a pleasing, herbal-infused mix of melon, fig and pear flavors. It's full-bodied, broad-shouldered and beautifully balanced.

An inexpensive sauvignon blanc that should be easy to find is the 2007 Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve, a juicy, slightly grassy version of the varietal.

A refreshing wine with notes of fig, kiwi and grapefruit.

A citrusy sauvignon blanc that's a great value. Notes of stone fruit and spice, with a hint of grassiness. Balanced.

Kendall-Jackson Estate Vineyards pulls out all the stops, seeking richness and complexity using grapes from Lake, Mendocino and Sonoma counties, blending in small proportions of semillon, viognier and muscat canelli. A complex blend of ripe tropical fruit, from mangoes to oranges, with crisp white grapefruit.

Another good value in this category, the KJ sports simple pear, citrus and kiwi notes.

The 2006 Sauvignon Blanc is racy with grapefruit, lime and melon.

Few wines pair well with asparagus, but Sauvignon Blanc is an exception - the variety's grassy, herbal notes complement asparagus's strong flavor. Kendall-Jackson's 2006 Vintner's Reserve Sauvignon, with its fresh citrusy fruit, is a great partner for this springtime salad.

A great value with melon and citrus notes dashed with exotic flavors of figs and kiwi. Blended with semillon and sauvignon musque to give it a soft mouthfeel.

Aunt Ruby's Green Tomato Relish and Goat Cheese was paired with the 2005 Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Sauvignon Blanc. The fresh tomatillos, vinegar and basil in the the tomato relish helped focus and soften the wine's melon, citrus and mineral character, while the wine's acidity echoed that of the goat cheese.

Some sauvignon blancs bring to mind cool water tumbling over polished rocks, a rushing creek, a river as snow melts. Others, like our Wine of the Week, Kendall-Jackson 2005 Vintner's Reserve California Sauvignon Blanc, are all sunlight. This wine is crisp and bright, like a cloudless summer morning. Among the fruit aromas - mostly apple and sweet citrus - there is a whisper of freshly cut hay. It is an endearing quality and one that makes the wine an excellent afternoon sip or before-dinner aperitif.

A rich sauvignon blanc. Flavors of peach, tangelo, lime, pippin apple and gooseberry. It has a soft texture, but a crisp finish.

The melon-scented 2004 California Vintner's Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, at once brisk and packing plenty of fruit flavor.

Subdued rather than a big, grassy style. Lovely aromas and flavors of orange peel, baked bread, tangelo and pineapple.

lemon, lime and spicy fig flavors.

A classic, rounded California take on Sauvignon Blanc, with hints of lemon and melon and a bright finish.

Mainstream California style, with grapefruit and pineapple flavors but no grassiness.

juicy with loads of melon flavors and underlying citrus notes. It bridges the gap between a lean, grassy style of Sauvignon Blanc and an overly ripe, warm-weather Sauvignon. Either is ideal as a cocktail sipper or with broiled fish with a squeeze of lemon on top.

Although its loosely fruity, clean-as-can-be style commends it for warm-weather quaffing, there are few varietal specifics to this light-bodied wine.

This widely distributed California white wine gives you a lot of bang for the buck. Relatively full-bodied for a Sauvignon Blanc, it offers vibrant flavors of figs, melons, lemons, apples and minerals. It has a pleasant, smoky aroma and a touch of vanilla from judiciously used oak. There's a snappy bite to the flavor and feel--but not too much. ...a very smartly made wine.