It is summer in Kenya and what goes perfectly with sunshine is a glass of well chilled Sauvignon Blanc (pronounced Sew-vee-nyon-Blonc). Sauvignon Blanc is a white grape variety that originates from France either the Loire Valley in the north-east of the country, or, more surprisingly from the Bordeaux region in the south-west the home of world famous red wines.

Sauvignon Blanc produces a wine with distinctive characteristics with fruit flavours of tropical fruits such as pineapple and melon and when produced in cooler regions of the world gooseberry and asparagus. Wine writers in the USA have even coined the phrase ?cats-pee-on-a-gooseberry-bush? to describe Sauvignon Blanc bouquet ? do not let this cheeky description put you off the pleasures this wine can bring. Ripe fruit combined with what wine tasters call racy or zingy acidity, Sauvignon Blanc provides the perfect thirst quencher for hot summer days.

The virtues of Sauvignon Blanc are that it can be drunk by itself as well as a great accompaniment to a wide variety of foods. Sacrilege to some, but Sauvignon Blanc even works well mixed with sparkling or soda water to form a fabulous spritzer. With food it goes particularly well with Sushi and seafood in general as well as vegetarian dishes, salads, and chicken. Sauvignon Blanc can also go well with spicy food and light curries, normally difficult to couple with wine.

Sauvignon Blanc is normally best when young so look out for the 2010 or even 2011 vintages which are currently available in Kenyan supermarkets and more specialist outlets. Chile in South America is rapidly gaining a reputation for good quality Sauvignon Blanc coupled importantly with great value for money. Look out for Chilean Sauvignon Blancs that have on the label produced in Central Valley Region, or, best of all, the Casablanca Valley. You can find these Chilean Sauvignon Blanc in the major supermarkets of Kenya for between KSH800 to KSH1,000 a bottle.

South Africa produces excellent Sauvignon Blanc particularly from their cooler regions in the Cape. Look out in particular for those Sauvignon Blancs which have on the label (normal the back) Coastal Region. Otherwise, South African Sauvignon?s will have on the label, ?Wines from the Western Cape?, and most represent excellent value. You can find the Bellingham 2011 Sauvignon Blanc in the shops for around KSH900 a bottle.

For those wanting to return to the origins of Sauvignon Blanc search out wines from the Loire Valley in France. Be careful here though because Loire Valley wines will not have the name Sauvignon Blanc on the label. Instead look out for the words Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé for an old-world expression of Sauvignon Blanc. These wines can only really be found at specialist wine outlets in Kenya although they are occasionally available in the bigger supermarket chains. Also, when available they are usually quite a bit more expensive at around KSH1,500 to KSH2,500 a bottle.

Last but not least Kenya unbeknown to most has its very own Sauvignon Blanc. The wine is produced by the Lileshwa wine company and the quality improves with every vintage. Trained in South Africa, James Farqueson the wine maker at Lileshwa has been busily planting Sauvignon Blanc on the farm in Naivasha for the last 4 or 5 years and although battling with geography (producing wine on the equator is a significant challenge) is optimistic for the grape in Kenya. The 2011 Lileshwa Sauvignon Blanc is fresh and vibrant with good fruit expressions of gooseberries and pineapple both on the nose and the palate. It is available at the main supermarkets for around KSH600 a bottle.