St. Supery sauvignon blanc is a workhorse

Our Wine of the Week, St. Supery 2010 Napa Valley Estate Sauvignon Blanc ($20), is a flawless example of the varietal. It is one of those work-horse wines, suitable to myriad occasions and a vast array of foods.

But although it is reliable, a wine you can always count on to deliver on its promise, it is never dull. Ahhh, you sigh when you encounter it again: It is so nice to reconnect.

Although fruit flavors — unripe kiwi, white grapefruit, chilled fennel, lemon and lime zest and guava — are present in every sip, they do not dominate the palate.

Instead, what you notice most is pretty acidity, the suggestion of a cool grassy meadow, river rocks polished by tumbling water and a chiffonade of kaffir lime leaf.

Some sauvginon blancs have so much forward fruit that even though the wine is dry, the palate reads the flavors as sweet, a characteristic that can interfere with both the refreshing quality of the wine and certain pairings.

That is not the case with this wine. It is always invigorating, even as it warms in the glass. A beautiful green quality — think lemongrass, haricots verts, lemon verbena and lemon thyme — never fades.

When it comes to enjoying the wine at the table, the possibilities are endless. Serve it as an apertif, well chilled with simple appetizers — a bit of young goat cheese, French breakfast radishes, oysters on the half shell — for a wonderful start to any occasion.

It will pair beautifully with most white-fleshed fish, especially Petrale sole and flounder, and is a great choice with the green vegetables of summer. It will also pair with a bit of heat without turning bitter, which means you can enjoy it with Southeast Asian foods, especially Thai larb and green curries and Vietnamese spring rolls and buns.

For today’s recipe, I’ve paired the wine with Romano beans because the first have appeared at our farmers markets and it’s an extraordinary match. You can enjoy it simply, if you like, with nothing more than the beans cooked until just tender, about 3 minutes.

But you don’t need a recipe for that. In this recipe, I’ve added lime zest, lime juice and avocado, along with cherry tomatoes, for a more substantial dish, which is excellent alongside pork tenderloin, chicken breast, sanddabs and grilled zucchini.

Romano Beans Cherry Tomatoes, Avocado & Lime

Makes 4 to 6 servings

— Kosher salt

1 pound fresh Romano beans, trimmed

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved if small and quartered if large

1 avocado, diced (see Note below)

3 garlic cloves, minced

— Zest of 1 lime

— Juice of 1 lime

— Black pepper in a mill

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley leaves

Fill a medium saucepan two-thirds full with water, season generously with salt and bring to a boil over high heat. When the water boils, add the Romano beans. After the water returns to a boil, set a timer for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, test for doneness and if the beans are still crunchy, cook 1 to 2 minutes more. Drain, rinse in cool water, drain thoroughly and transfer to a wide shallow serving bowl.

Meanwhile, put the cherry tomatoes into a medium bowl, add the avocado, garlic, lime zest and lime juice and toss together very gently. Season with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil and parsley, stir, taste and correct for salt, pepper and acid balance, adding more lime or more olive oil as needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

When the cooked beans have cooled, spoon the tomato and avocado mixture over them and serve.

Note: To dice an avocado, first cut it in half lengthwise, cutting in a circular motion around the pit. Twist to separate the halves and then remove the pit; if it is stubborn, smack it with a sharp knife, so that the knife is imbedded in it. Twist the knife and it will come right out. Use a sharp paring knife to make lengthwise cuts in the flesh to but not through the skin. Next make crosswise cuts. Use a soup spoon to extract the diced flesh from the skin.