Savor a sauvignon blanc before dinner

I have taken to drinking a glass of sauvignon blanc as my aperitif when I come home in the evening.

When I was a chardonnay-or-nothing drinker, I wouldn't drink sauvignon blanc except with food. After some experience, though, I found that a glass of sauvignon blanc can be refreshing before dinner.

Few sauvignon blancs are extraordinarily expensive, but below $15 a bottle, you have to look carefully for a good wine. At this price point, a sauvignon blanc that is crisp and clean is a good buy.

I asked the wine tasters to compare four sauvignon blancs under $15. Here is what we found:

-- 2003 Honig sauvignon blanc at $14.99. This wine had a sweet fruit nose, along with lime, a certain grassiness and a pleasant mineral taste. It had a creamy texture, but it was not particularly tart on the finish.

-- 2003 Firestone sauvignon blanc at $11.99. Sauvignon blanc has emerged as a leading performer on the Central California Coast, and the Firestone Estate has done well. It had a dark gold color and a floral perfume along with tropical fruit. The Firestone had a viscous texture with bright acids, yet a pleasant creaminess on the palate with a crisp finish. It finished first in our tasting.

-- 2003 Rock Rabbit sauvignon blanc at $12.99. This wine had an off-putting aroma for a few moments, but later it had a pleasant chalky nose offering unripe pears. In the mouth, it had good acids and was not as creamy as some of the others. It was more grassy and had a long, crisp finish. The Rock Rabbit finished second in our tasting.

-- 2003 Lolonis fume blanc at $11.99. This was a simple, straightforward wine. It showed a little bit of fruit and a little bit of acid. It had a short finish.

Surfing the wine shelves:

-- 2003 Elsa Malbec at $9.99. This Argentina wine had a floral aroma backed by plums and dark berries. We tasted the plums and vanilla in the mouth.

-- 2002 Famiglia Bianchi cabernet sauvignon at $17.99. The aroma offered a wide-ranging appeal of dark berries, cedar, cocoa, clove and other spice. In the mouth, it was full-bodied, fruity and spicy.

-- 2003 Matua Valley Marlborough Valley sauvignon blanc at $11. We smelled lots of citrus and tropical fruits in the aroma, including grapefruit, lemon, lime and passion fruit. It had a medium dry finish.

-- 2003 Morgan Santa Lucia Highland Metallico chardonnay at $20. Traditional green apples and citrus fruit filled the aroma. In the mouth, we also tasted peaches and pears and a hint of vanilla.

-- 2002 Murphy-Goode Liar's Dice Zinfandel at $19.50. An intense zinfandel, the Liar's Dice had peppery flavors laced with black raspberries.

-- 2001 Napa Ridge Central Coast pinot noir at $10. This is a good value for a $10 bottle. The Napa Ridge had an earthy aroma with black cherries and raspberries. It had a smoky finish.

-- 2003 Pepi pinot grigio at $11. We found lemon, lime and honeydew melon in the aroma. The texture was creamy and not as tart as some pinot grigio -- all under an easy-opening screw cap.

Questions may be sent to Frank Sutherland, editor, The Tennessean, 1100 Broadway, Nashville 37203, or e-mailed to editor@tennessean.com.