The summer harvest is in full swing. Squash and eggplant fill the refrigerators. Tomatoes radiate the sun in shades of red and gold as they rest on the countertops.

Heavy meats have given way to more delicate seafood offerings as the cicadas trill in the heat.

Wine wise, the word is white.

Nothing highlights the taste of a green vegetable like sauvignon blanc. Its bracing acidity and minerality magnifies the taste of chlorophyll and herbs. It marries well with a cornucopia of vegetarian dishes, perfectly pairing with everything from grilled, herb-dusted zucchini and baba ghanoush to fried tomatoes and freshly-made jalapeno poppers.

High-acid foods such as tomatoes need high-acid whites as dance partners. The acid balance makes both wine and food show to best advantage. If the food is more acidic than the wine, the wine will taste flat and lifeless.

Baba ghanoush, the famous Middle Eastern roasted eggplant spread, is laced with lemon juice. It screams for high-acid sauvignon blanc for balance. The flavors meld and the eggplant is magnified on the palate.

Sauvignon Blanc also serves as the perfect partner for fried heirloom tomatoes. The balancing acid levels make sure both food and wine maintain their piquancy.

The acid in the wine helps cleanse the palate of the olive fry oil; the explosively sweet taste of ripe tomato is all that is left on the finish.

The potency of garden herbs is enhanced by sauvignon blanc, making any herb-enriched dish taste fresher and livelier. The cilantro in the salsa will jump from the chip. The herbs on the grilled squash will sing across the palate. The capsicum in hot peppers will be magnified. The richness of cream cheese dips or fillings will be cut through by sauvignon blanc's acidity.

When it comes to August's green bounty, nothing suits better at table than tangy, sassy Sauvignon Blanc. And there are easy ways to enhance sauvignon blanc's natural proclivity to the garden.

Sprinkle steamed corn with lemon pepper. Roast cherry tomatoes with garlic and serve over toasted herb foccaccia. Craft an entree salad of arugula, toasted nuts, feta (a high-acid cheese) and shrimp scampi. Make a summer-weight fondue out of chevre (another high-acid cheese) and dip in a panoply of cherry tomatoes and herbed bread cubes. Pair up with gazpacho with herbed croutons.

If you're serving seafood, nothing goes better with mussels steamed in white wine and herbs than sauvignon blanc. The wine also marries well with pan-sauteed fish or fish and chips.

Outside of serving a good white burgundy with lobster and an off-dry Riesling with steamed crabs, sauvignon blanc takes the cake with regard to most summer seafood dishes and seafood salads.

But, buyer beware! Not all sauvignon blancs are created equal. For maximum acidity and minerality, look to France.

The Loire bottles some tangy, citrusy, grassy offerings in the form of Sancerre, Pouilly Fume and Touraine. And you'll seldom see oak in the winemaking practices here. (Oak clashes with fish oils to produce a putrid, copper-penny taste on the palate. In combination, the wine tastes like liquid aluminum foil, and the seafood "fishy.")

New Zealand is another safe bet for unoaked sauvignon blanc. It, too, is bursting with acidity, but instead of minerality is loaded with passion fruit and grapefruit. I've not had a bad one yet -- and there are lots on the market.

My picks are Brancott, $12.99; Goldwater, $17.99; Matua, $13.99; Nautilus, $17.99; Nobilo, $12.99; Omaka Springs, $16.99, and Whitehaven, $18.99.

South Africa can produce some stunning sauvignon blancs, but the good ones don't come cheap. (Mulderbosch clocks in at $22.99.) Those in the mid-range tend to lack both fruit and aroma.

California produces some lower-acid bottlings (comparatively speaking), and many producers use oak. If you opt to try a sauvignon blanc from California, read the back label to determine winemaking practices, (stainless steel fermented is the way to go) and select wines from cool growing regions for optimal acid levels.

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