California Sauterne

Many decades ago,my father had always requested that I buy a Sauterne wine for our Thanksgiving dinner. It was not the Sauterne that is sold today.

Since the French started protecting the Sauterne regional name, it is now impossible to find a "California Sauterne wine".

I have been advised that the California central valley was the most probable source of that wine and that the grapes were mostly French Columbard.

Can you possibly help me find a wine and winery that produces a product that is the closest to the old California Sauterene ?

Sauternes today is a French sweet dessert wine. Was the wine you're writing about dry or sweet? In the "old" days labeling meant practically nothing and the descriptions used would not now be allowed. Maybe Mr' Hill's memory is better than mine and he could be more specific.

There are a number of producers making wines that are similar to what was known as Sauterne. The varietal character is suppressed by the influence of the "noble rot" that concentrates the juice, so I would recommend you try any California wine labeled "late harvest" or "noble rot" or "botryris". Sometimes they have proprietary names like Beringer's Nightingale, which is expensive but has good availability. The only grape I would stay away from is riesling, which tends to make a more acidic (some would say less sickly sweet) wine. It's true that few wineries bottle anything labeled as Colombard, but I see there is at least one:

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=735295

[Robin Garr]

Alan, welcome to the forum! I would add that "Sauterne" was a common label back in the day when a lot of inexpensive California wine was bottled under labels that imitated the classic wines of Europe but cost a lot less and, generally, were worth a lot less. "Burgundy," "Chablis" and "Champagne" were three more great European wine names that took a lot of abuse from cheap California generics. But that didn't keep the early big names like Gallo, Christian Brothers, Ingelnook, Paul Masson ("We'll sell no wine before its time") and many more from making a lot of money.

"Sauterne" - in imitation of French "Sauternes," with a silent final "-s" - was a simple, sweet white wine. If you're looking for something decent to fill that memory space, Caymus Conundrum, a sweet white varietal blend, might waken the old memories in a good way.

The wine was just a touch on the sweet side and really complimented the turkey dinner.
Any recommendation is welcomed.

Thanks for the replies

[Robin Garr]

The wine was just a touch on the sweet side and really complimented the turkey dinner.
Any recommendation is welcomed.

Thanks for the replies

A good German Riesling, just off-dry, might be perfect. Calling David Bueker!

An inexpensive Vouvray from France's Loire region might have the same qualities. It is made from Chenin blanc. I don't know which of the California Chenin Blanc bottlings might be worth a try.

I don’t know how many decades back your going, but it seems to me quite a few California wine producers of “yesteryear” were producing either a “dry” Sauterne and/or “sweet” Sauterne (out of who knows what?). As mentioned by Robin the French spell it “Sauternes” the Americans dropped the “s” at the end (“Sauterne”). The following link might be of interest.

http://www.oldandsold.com/articles02/fresno2.shtml

Salute

I have vague memories of jug CA Sauterne from HS. I think Charles might be on right track with inexpensive sec-tendre Vouvray idea. I like the Pine Ridge CB/Viognier but maybe a bit drier. I remember having a kosher Herzog CB at a Seder, might fit the bill. Had sweetness but not dessert sweetness, which I think was what the CA "Sauterne" was like,

Sauternes today is a French sweet dessert wine. Was the wine you're writing about dry or sweet? In the "old" days labeling meant practically nothing and the descriptions used would not now be allowed. Maybe Mr' Hill's memory is better than mine and he could be more specific.

Well, Lou...if you're relying on "Mr'Hills memory", we may be in deep $hit.

Calif Sauterne (w/o the trailing "s") was an example of a Calif generic label...exactly like "Burgundy" or "Claret" or "Champagne" or "Port" or "Sherry" or "Chianti" or "Hock". Those generic labels, named after famous growing areas/wines in Europe, have pretty much fallen into disuse, if not outright illegal. Most were grandfathered in.
Calif "Sauterne", I've not seen in yrs & yrs. It bore no resemblance whatsoever to fine French "Sauternes" (spelled w/ an "s"). It was a cheap Calif white, often from CentralVlly grapes, FrenchColombard being one candidate. ThompsonSeedless being another. Botrytis never played a part in Calif "Sauterne". Just cheap grapes made in a soft/off-dry style.
So...in response to the OP who wants to replicate his Thanksgiving "Sauterne" expperience, I would recommend some of the Bedrock or Carlisle white as being sort of "old-timey" whites, though they will be totally dry, rather than off-dry. Add a small dollop of sugar and you should be home free.
Tom

Chenin Blanc..I would look out for Ballentine, terrific white wine.

http://www.cellartracker.com/classic/li ... enin+blanc

The closest you're going to get to what Alan K. is referring to is likely Chateau La Salle or Wente Blanc de Blancs.

If you want to go that Chenin Blanc route, CNW (Chard No Way) from Clark County is good.

Do you and everybody else a favor go to a wine store and ask for a bottle of Huet Vouvray Demi Sec. It'll cost a few bucks but at least it will be real wine.

I remember my grandfather drinking jug Sauterne! Lol - I loved the stuff. Of course, I was 10....

I was thinking a dry(ish) Sémillon might fill the bill, but then I recalled a dinner a few years ago at the CIA where the sommelier recommended a dry muscat from the Finger Lakes with our meal. Bingo! Not as, uh, well, let's just say it was not an *exact* match for my grandpappy's tipple. But it was floral, off-dry like a riesling kab, and definitely reminiscent of the flavors I had decades ago from that jug.

That's what I'd go for