When I was living in Korea, one of the most popular wines was Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc. I was intrigued by the poetic name and label, and an off-hand comment from a friend that Cloud Bay Sauvignon Blanc pairs well with oysters.
I have yet to try the wine, but wanted to get a better understanding of its growing popularity, taste profile, and other potential food pairings.
Based on information from various wine reviewers and critics, Sauvignon Blanc has become the gateway grape for a lot of wine drinkers because of its easy going and versatile nature. I found this fact to be surprising, especially given the number of media references to “having a nice glass of red wine.” And within the Sauvignon Blanc market, New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs have continued to outperform Californian and Loire counterparts, which is where Cloudy Bay is from.
Cloudy Bay specifically has a history that dates back to the 1980s. It seems to have remained popular for two reasons (1) a reasonable price = typically around $20 and (2) powerful, fresh flavor profile = “up-front gooseberry, green pepper, and elderflower character typical of the region.” When looking at potential food pairings for Cloudy Bay, many of the suggested food options are strong-flavored seafood.
After seeing potential pairings of “seafood dishes” or “other powerfully flavored dishesl” I started to understand why Cloudy Bay was so popular in Korea. First, wine is expensive, and so prices are typically at least 2x wine prices in the U.S. That means that Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc would have been a “reasonable” price for most Korean consumers - at around $40. In addition, Korean food contains a lot of seafood and spices, and so, in theory, Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc would have paired well.
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