Being from Michigan, the natural choice for North was to go with a local wine, so I rummaged around and found a bottle from St. Julian. St. Julian is Michigan’s oldest winery, and is also the largest. They source grapes from a large number of growers, all of which are located within 50 miles of the winery.

For South, I turned to the sunny climes of California. Honig is located in Napa Valley (Rutherford, to be precise) and has a terrible Flash-infested front page that refuses to work on my computer.



Charts comparing climates (as always, click for a larger version)

In short: Michigan doesn’t get quite as warm or stay warm for as long, while California is a lot drier during the growing season.

Honig Sauvignon Blanc 2007: Brix at harvest 23.6, 97.6% Sauvignon Blanc and 2.4% Semillon. Aging was 33% neutral oak, 67% stainless steel. 13.5% ABV.

Braganini Reserve 2007 Sauvignon Blanc: Brix at harvest 20.8, 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Aging was 100% stainless steel. 12% ABV.

Blind(ish) tasting time! Wine A is much darker than Wine B, so I’m actually fairly certain which is which right off the bat.

Nose: A is musky and citrusy, while B is lighter, sweeter, and very tropical.

Taste: A is still quite citrusy, but some mango and peach show up, with an overall impression of stodginess. B fruitier but lighter and still leaning toward the tropical with maybe a hint of lime, but also some slight alcohol notes. Both exhibit similar amounts of acidity.

Overall: Both are nice crisp wines, with A being a bit more robust for standing up to food but B edging ahead for sipping by having a cleaner flavour profile and more liveliness.

And the reveal: As I suspected, A is North and B is South.

Appearance: Yellow-green bottle with a synthetic cork. Pours a pale yellow.

Nose: Fresh green apples and aromatic pears.

Taste: Complex yet restrained fruity components. In addition to the fruits from the nose we encounter lemon, pineapple, and honeydew melon. Fresh acidity on the front and a hint of newly baked bread in the silky smooth finish.

Overall: I'd call it a success. If you're looking for a buttery, toasty, in-your-face wine, look elsewhere. If, on the other hand, you've always wondered what California Chardonnay actually tastes like underneath the wood and lactic acid, you're in the right place.