06/27/07 Fume or Sauvignon Blanc

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran and today we're going to discuss the wine named Fume Blanc and how that name came about. Sauvignon Blanc is the name of the grape that is used to make some of the most sophisticated wines in the world and certainly some of the most food friendly wines. It is also the grape used to make Fume Blanc. Sauvignon Blanc has been grown and used to make some fabulous wines in France for many generations. These wines can be very sweet or dry although they are usually lighter than say a Chardonnay. It very often has pronounced herbal characteristics sometimes even a soft smoky quality. But why is it sometimes called Fume Blanc? Quite a few years back there was a Sauvignon Blanc from France and it was all the rage  it was called Pouilly Fume. So Robert Mondavi in California was having a difficult time selling his Sauvignon Blanc. Most likely because the general public was unaware that Pouilly Fume was made from Sauvignon Blanc. At this time Robert made a brilliant marketing decision and began calling his wine Fume Blanc. The result was skyrocketing sales. And to this day more wines made with the Sauvignon Blanc grape are sold under the Fume Blanc label than under the correct name. The only mistake that Robert Mondavi made was not trademarking the name and now anyone can use it and they do. So that's the story of Sauvignon Blanc and Fume Blanc, the same grape used to make wines with different names. And thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.