Wine of the week: Silver Trident Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc

When Kari Auringer was handed a wine list to order for her guests, she found it daunting.

That was before she became a winemaker.

“Those first few clumsy attempts were embarrassing, and I vowed to figure this wine thing out,” she said.

Auringer is the winemaker behind our wine-of-the-week winner, the Silver Trident, 2014 Symphony no. 9, Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc at $28.

This sauvignon blanc is bright and lively, with buoyant acidity. It has lovely notes of grapefruit, lime, mineral and a hint of pineapple. It strikes a great balance, and finishes crisp.

One reason the wine succeeds is that the grapes are picked in the chill of the night.

“The fruit arrives at the winery before dawn, naturally chilled, retaining the natural acidity that sauvignon blanc is known for,” Auringer said.

Crafting sauvignon blanc suits her because she’s a fan of the grape, she said. “I drink and enjoy the wine on a regular basis.

“I appreciate the variety of wine styles coming from different regions. The sauvignon blanc from New Zealand is often crisp and zippy, while warmer regions are producing wines that have more tropical fruit flavors, or are aged in oak.

“I find this grape so versatile and complex, which makes it a pleasure to work with.”

Silver Trident’s inaugural vintage was in 2009, and Auringer, 56, has been the winemaker from the beginning.

Auringer changed careers later in life.

“I caught the wine ‘bug’ while I was running my advertising/design agency in Dallas,” she said.

“I was lured to the Bay Area during the dot-com, dot-bomb frenzy with the ultimate goal of buying a vineyard and moving to Napa or Sonoma with my vast wealth from my imagined stock options. I was determined to make the transition from designing wine labels and drinking great wine to my ultimate goal of making delicious wine.

“It started with the purchase of half a ton of grapes and a book on winemaking, and I embarked on a whole new adventure that would soon be my new career.”

The vineyard never materialized, but Auringer went on to study at UC Davis and is no longer daunted by anything, least of all by wine lists.

“I figured if Julia Child could start cooking at 40, then it wasn’t too late for me to change careers either,” she said.