Van Ruiten Sauvignon Blanc: #Wine

There are wines the are always in my wine chiller. Van Ruiten is a local vintner, and their Van Ruiten Sauvignon Blanc is one of them. Because it’s one of my favorites, I decided to showcase it again.

Van Ruiten Sauvignon Blanc

This Van Ruiten Sauvignon Blanc was a delightful find. My friend and I went to a local farmers market and street fair, in a very charming town called Lodi. We had an excellent time. We asked some of the locals where they would suggest we have dinner. We found ourselves at the Rosewood Grill. The menu was delightful, and we order a bottle of wine. When we were making our selection, we chose a local vintner. We decided on something light and refreshing to go with our choice of fish for our entree.We settle on the Van Ruiten Sauvignon Blanc.

The Van Ruiten Family Winery is located in Lodi, California. Lodi wine region is located just south of Sacramento. The Lodi area has been an important wine grape growing region since the 1850’s. Today, the area boasts 100,000 acres of wine grapes. Lodi is best known for its full-bodied old vine Zinfandel wines.

The Lodi vineyards and wineries such as the one owned by the Van Ruiten Family, benefit greatly from the cool afternoon Delta breeze that flow in from the San Francisco Bay Area. What isn’t well known is Lodi leads all the California wine districts in the production of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier wine grapes.

The Van Ruiten Vineyards and Winery was a dream fulfilled by a young Dutch immigrant by the name of John Ruiten. Shortly after World War II, John settled in the Lodi area. In 1950, he bought land to plant his first vineyard of primarily Zinfandel vines. The business has remained in the family. In fact, the first fields that John planted with Zinfandel vines still remain as part of the Van Ruiten estate. The Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz blend is one of their most popular wines and for good reason.

The Van Ruiten Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel and Chardonnay are excellent and worth seeking out. All of these and others can be sampled daily at their Lodi Wineries Tasting Room.

This is what the winemaker has to say about their Van Ruiten Sauvignon Blanc:

“The grapes in our 2010 Sauvignon Blanc come from the great Rooster Vineyard in Lake County, north of Sonoma. The Sauvignon Blanc grape is a signature variety for Lake County; the region continues to impress critics with ideal growing conditions and soil compositions that allow for excellent fruit. A slow cold fermentation keeps this wine crisp and fruit-forward. Aromas of grapefruit and Meyer lemon is complimented by luscious flavors of lemongrass, lavender, and rosemary. Our Sauvignon Blanc is a wonderful aperitif, or you can pair it with oysters and shellfish.”

It was a delightful find and one I still enjoy. This wine was all that was described and more. You can find this wine online or in their winery and tasting room. I would highly recommend this light and refreshing wine. It was a great compliment to our evening and our entrées.

When you purchase this Van Ruiten Sauvignon Blanc, let us know what you think. Enjoy.