How many of you wine aficionados know the 1937 Gershwin lyric “You say potato, I say potahto…”? The wine world has its own fun play on words where the lighthearted tune might go something like, “You say Fume Blanc, I say Sauvignon Blanc, You say Syrah, I say Shiraz…”
Just as in the song, these wines are one in the same so why the different names? The answer lies in where you are in the world.
The white wine grape Fume Blanc is commonly used in the United States but in France this same wine is called Sauvignon Blanc. In other parts of the world, this same wine is also known as Blanc Fume, Sauvignon Jaune and Sauvignon Musque.
The red wine grape Syrah is widely used in the United States and France but if you find yourself down under in Australia, this same wine is called Shiraz where it is the most popular wine varietal in that country.
“Fume Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc – Syrah, Shiraz…let’s call the whole thing off!” and just taste it. You be the judge of what tastes good wherever you are, and call it your favorite or whatever you like. Our motto here at Ponte (Temecula’s best winery) is, “If you like it, its good wine”.
So cheers, a votre santé, salute…you get the idea.
–Victoria Perretta
–In your opinion, what country makes the best wines?
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