“Everyone loves a twist of lemon,” said John Ash of the soon-to-be famous Sauvignon Republic Cellars. A twist of lemon adds so much to food, he said; it adds crispness and flavor when cooking, and that is why sauvignon blanc is his wine of choice.

John said he compulsively squeezes lemon over fish and poultry, and, being a chef, he asked himself, “Why squeeze messy lemons when you can pour in sauvignon blanc?”

As I sat opposite John in the Ocean View Terrace with three glasses of sauvignon blanc in front of me and the ocean at my back, the animated and thoroughly enthusiastic blue-eyed chef told me about his love for sauvignon blanc.

We were surrounded by chardonnay drinkers dipping their tongues in tropical fruit and oaky margarine, all the while missing the sheer magic of sauvignon blanc. Their wines were tone deaf and flabby, mine lively and delicious.

I share Chef John’s passion for sauvignon blanc and feel sorry for those who think the white-wine experience is just chardonnay. SB is so alive; it just sings on the palate.

We discussed the numerous SB and fume blancs that are creamy and try to imitate chardonnay. John just shook his head in disappointment. “Why change the SB experience?” I said.

“Wines should be varietally correct,” he said, adding, “and that is what Sauvignon Republic is all about.”

Sauvignon Republic started out like most good ideas in the wine biz – just four food-and-wine-loving people laughing and sharing thoughts on their affection for food and wine. And the Sauvignon Republic founders all were in love with SB.

The idea was to produce sauvignon blanc that was a true expression of a place, a terrior, and that Sauvignon Republic would recognize no borders, just terrior and the gracefulness of sauvignon blanc.

Besides Chef John Ash, the partners in Sauvignon Republic are Paul Dolan, Tom Meyer and winemaker and general manager John Buechsenstein, a.k.a. John B., who worked as the winemaker of Fife Vineyards, whose rockin’ zinfandels and pepper-popping petite sirahs have earned a place in my heart.

What Sauvignon Republic aims to do is simplify and produce world-class SB that reflects the nature and beauty of terrior. Sauvignon Republic’s three current releases are made in the Russian River Valley in Sonoma, Marlborough in New Zealand and Stellenbosch in South Africa. John B. is the winemaker for all three wines, and they are made all in the same way, as 100-percent sauvignon blanc with no blending of any kind and no oak.

I have always felt that the wine biz lacks creativity. There is no question that the guys of Sauvignon Republic are on the cutting edge of the fine-wine movement. Their future plans include a Sancerre from the Loire Valley, a sauvignon from Friuli-Venezia in Italy and a SB from the cool coast of Chile.

Wine is a universal language. Like music, it knows no language but understands all. It knows no borders; it just waits for you to enjoy its beauty. Sauvignon Republic truly understands this.

As I looked at the bottles, I saw that the labels are designed like commemorative postage stamps; they are lovely. I also noticed that they use the Stelvin closure, a screw cap instead of a cork. Corks are all bad now – old school. With the Stelvin, you avoid the disappointment of cork-tainted wine.

I sniffed the ’05 Russian River SB as I watched Chef John toe-tapping, eyes looking for my approval. The vino had a yellow, barnyard-hay color and a citrus nose with hints of herbal pleasures on the palate. The wine was rich on the palate; crisp, like the first bite of a green apple. The lively acids were dancing on my tongue like the Bolshoi Ballet and had a bright and lingering lemon finish.

As I was enjoying the aromatics of the ’05 Marlborough SB, Chef John said: “Wine is food, and we feel that SB is in the forefront of the culinary movement. It is a taste of things to come.”

I nodded my head in agreement. The Marlborough SB had a savage characteristic, with minerality, crisp herbal notes and a dash of fresh ground pepper. It was lovely, like the Russian River SB but uniquely New Zealand.

The last wine was from Stellenbosch, South Africa. It was layered in fruit and had tropical nuances and break dancin’ crispness, with lively grapefruit that could handle spicy chili recipes. It was my favorite, and it was the vino I was going to drink that night.