Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/68310
Blending 101 F or anyone who's dreamed of becoming a winemaker after witnessing the seemingly idyllic lifestyle it may portray during a tour of wine country, France's Pierre- Jean Sauvion offered a rare opportunity to go into the "laboratory" recently by holding a blending class at Corkbuzz Wine Studio in NYC. Sauvion, who at 34 is a fourth-generation winemaker for his family's eponymous winery, makes beautiful wines in Nantes from grapes grown throughout the Loire Valley. And while he admits that his favorite grape to work with is the rare Melon de Bourgogne, it was Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre that was the focus of this workshop. Sauvion brought four unblended tank samples repre- senting the different terroirs of the region, each displaying unique components such as acidity, salinity, ripe fruit and minerality. Attendees were asked to create a blend, which Sauvion then critiqued for the class. Easier said than done, apparently, as all attendees fell short of landing a job as his next protégé. However, upon tasting one offering, Sauvion did remark that he may change his fi nal blend for the upcoming release. Says the self-proclaimed façonneur de plaisir, "My only goal is to give pleasure to everyone who opens a bottle of Sauvion wine." —David Ransom Sauvion is imported by W. J. Deutsch & Sons. Master Sommelier Laura Maniec, owner of Corkbuzz Wine Studio, Pierre-Jean Sauvion and Melanie Young of importer W. J. Deutsch & Sons. june 2012 / the tasting panel / 19 PHOTO: PETER DOYLE PHOTOGRAPHY