Childress Vineyards

Not much Sauvignon Blanc is grown in North Carolina as yet; it tends to be quite vigorous in the vineyard. Childress grows some five to seven acres of Sauvignon Blanc near the winery in Lexington at the southernmost part of the Yadkin Valley, and feels it is handling vigor successfully. Winemaker Mark Friszolowski makes sure that yields are low, held to 1½ to 2 tons per acre. In the vineyard, they contain vigor through leaf-pulling and water management, as well as allowing the fruit to hang longer.

“In 2006, we had some rain during harvest and people started to panic,” recalled Mark. “But we waited and it paid off. It was dry for two weeks after that so we got riper fruit that wasn’t diluted or too grassy.”

The 2006 Sauvignon is dry and nicely balanced, with good citrus flavors, a hint of grassiness and minerality in the finish without being too herbaceous - as it might be if vine vigor were left unchecked. The wine is unoaked, with fresh crisp character that makes it very appealing with seafood, shellfish and goat cheese.

Reviewed April 2, 2008 by Barbara Ensrud.