There’s something beautifully simple about cooking with a wine you’d happily pour into a glass. Bright, crisp, and full of fresh character, Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc brings a lively lift to the kitchen, whether it’s simmered with honey, whisked into a dressing, folded into butter, or reduced into a silky sauce.
These recipes from our Executive Chef Olan Cox celebrate our California Sauvignon Blanc’s refreshing, lively style in a way that feels easy, seasonal, and full of possibility. Whether you’re hosting friends, building a sunny weekend menu, or just looking for one more reason to open a bottle, these Sauvignon Blanc recipes are made for golden-hour gatherings, easy afternoons, and everything in between.
Why Cook with Sauvignon Blanc?
Sauvignon Blanc has a natural brightness that works beautifully in food. When simmered or reduced, it can bring a fresh, citrusy lift to sauces, dressings, fruit, seafood, and vegetables. In these recipes, Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc acts almost like a seasoning: adding freshness, balance, and just enough acidity to make each bite feel more vibrant.
1. Sauvignon Blanc Butter Shrimp
This is the kind of dish that feels special without asking too much of the cook. Chef Olan Cox’s Sauvignon Blanc Butter Shrimp starts by reducing Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc with shallots, then whisking in butter before tossing the sauce with sautéed shrimp and fresh herbs.
The sauce is silky, bright, and deeply satisfying, with enough freshness from the wine to balance the richness of the butter. Serve it with crusty bread, over rice, alongside grilled vegetables, or as part of a relaxed dinner spread.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Gulf shrimp
- ½ cup Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc
- 4 tbsp butter, cut into pieces
- 2 tbsp minced shallots or sweet onions
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley, chives, basil, or thyme
Method
- Simmer the Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc and shallots until reduced by half.
- Whisk in the butter, then set the sauce aside.
- Sauté shrimp over medium heat until cooked through.
- Remove the pan from heat, toss shrimp with the wine sauce, and finish with fresh herbs.
Make It Your Own
This simple preparation also works beautifully with chicken, scallops, other shellfish, or sautéed summer vegetables.
2. Sauvignon Blanc Grilled Corn Butter
Grilled corn is already a warm-weather favorite. Add Sauvignon Blanc butter, fresh herbs, lime, and a little chili powder, and it becomes the kind of side dish people remember.
For this recipe, Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc is reduced to a few tablespoons, then stirred into softened butter with herbs, lime zest, chili powder, salt, and pepper before being brushed or poured over hot grilled corn.
It’s bright, buttery, and just a little unexpected. The wine reduction adds a subtle lift that plays beautifully with smoky corn, fresh herbs, and the zip of lime.
Ingredients
- Grilled Texas sweet corn
- ½ cup Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc
- 4 tbsp butter
- Tarragon, cilantro, chives, Mexican oregano, parsley, or herbs of your choice
- Lime
- A shake or two of chili powder
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Reduce the Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc to a few tablespoons.
- Stir the reduction into softened butter with your chosen herbs and lime zest.
- Brush or pour over hot grilled corn.
- Finish with salt, pepper, and chili powder.
Serving Idea
Set the corn out family-style with extra lime wedges and herbs on the side. It brings a casual, help-yourself energy to the table that feels right at home with a chilled bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.
3. Sauvignon Blanc Goat Cheese Crostini with Summer Peaches
This crostini sits right at the intersection of easy and elegant. Toasted bread, creamy goat cheese, thinly sliced peaches, thyme, and a wine-honey reduction come together in a bite that feels bright, creamy, and just sweet enough.
Chef Olan’s method reduces Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc with honey until syrupy, then layers goat cheese and peach slices on toasted bread before finishing with the wine-honey drizzle and thyme.
It’s perfect as an appetizer, a first bite for a summer dinner, or the kind of snack that turns “just coming over for a glass” into a full conversation around the kitchen island.
Ingredients
- Sliceable bread, such as French bread or focaccia
- Goat cheese
- ¼ cup Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc
- Thinly sliced Texas peaches
- 1Tablespoon of Honey
- Thyme
Method
- Over low to medium heat, reduce Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc with honey until syrupy.
- Spread goat cheese on toasted bread.
- Add a peach slice or two on top.
- Drizzle with the wine-honey reduction and finish with thyme.
Bonterra Tip
Chef Olan notes that the Sauvignon Blanc honey reduction is a treat on its own, delicious drizzled over cheesecake, waffles, carrots, crepes, or tossed with roasted vegetables.
4. Grilled Citrus, Scallions, Radish & Avocado Salad with Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc Dressing
Fresh, colorful, and full of texture, this salad brings Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc into the dressing for a bright, balanced finish. It features grilled grapefruit and oranges, avocado, grilled green onions, radishes, fresh lettuces, toasted pumpkin seeds, flaky salt, and cracked black pepper.
The dressing combines Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc, olive oil, seasoned rice vinegar, wildflower honey, lemon juice, shallot or sweet onion, parsley, salt, pepper, and optional fresh herbs like cilantro, chives, basil, or tarragon.
Grilling the citrus adds a little char while keeping the fruit juicy, and the scallions bring a savory note that plays beautifully with the richness of avocado and the crunch of radishes. Chef Olan notes that the grilled citrus amplifies the wine’s bright, zesty character while adding caramel-like sweetness, and that radishes add peppery crunch to balance the avocado.
Serves
4 to 6
Salad Ingredients
- 2 grapefruit, peeled and sliced into ½-inch rounds
- 2 oranges, peeled and sliced into ½-inch rounds
- 1 large ripe avocado, sliced
- 1 bunch green onions, tips and roots cleaned
- 6 to 8 radishes, thinly sliced
- 4 to 5 cups fresh lettuces, arugula, or spinach
- 2 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds
- Flaky sea salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc Dressing
- ¼ cup Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tsp wildflower honey
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 tbsp finely minced shallot or sweet onion
- 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
- Pinch kosher salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Optional: cilantro, chives, basil, or tarragon
Method
- Whisk together the Sauvignon Blanc, olive oil, rice vinegar, honey, lemon juice, shallot, parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Let the dressing stand for 10 minutes so the flavors can meld.
- Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high, pat citrus slices dry, and grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side until light char marks appear.
- Grill the green onions briefly, then remove, chop into thirds, and cool slightly.
- Toss greens with a light coating of dressing, then arrange on a platter with grilled citrus, scallions, avocado, radishes, and toasted pepitas.
- Drizzle generously with dressing and finish with flaky salt and black pepper.
Make It Your Own
Chef Olan suggests adding fresh corn, caramelized or grilled onions, grilled peppers, or roasted beets. You can also remove the lettuce and serve it as a chunkier salad alongside seafood or grilled fare, or swap the pepitas for peanuts, pecans, or walnuts.
Bring the Bottle to the Table
The beauty of these recipes is that they don’t ask for a perfect occasion. They’re made for casual hosting, warm evenings, quick appetizers, colorful salads, and the kind of meals that come together with a few good ingredients and a little intention.
Pour Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc into the pan, whisk it into a dressing, simmer it with honey, or fold it into butter. Then pour a glass for the table, too. Its tropical fruit character and crisp finish make it a natural match for these bright, herb-filled, produce-forward dishes.
Find Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc near you, gather your ingredients, and bring a little more brightness to your next meal. Here’s to cooking with care, pouring with ease, and savoring every fresh, flavorful moment.
