Where to find Sauvignon Blanc?
Its traditional homeland is France’s Loire Valley, most notably Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, and Bordeaux, but it has since been adopted around the world, most significantly in New Zealand.
On a smaller scale, you’ll also find Sauvignon Blanc wines from Australia, Chile and Argentina, the USA and South Africa, while in Europe you’ll find a few small pockets in Italy, Portugal, even in Germany, but more significantly it’s found a home in Eastern European countries like Hungary, Moldova, Slovenia and the like.
The grape is often featured solo in a wine, or teams up with Sémillon and Muscadelle (commonly in Bordeaux, in both its dry and its sweet wines).
It has certainly earned its popularity amongst wine enthusiasts, so let’s explore the grape in more detail.
What does Sauvignon Blanc taste like?
This internationally acclaimed white wine grape is known for its leap-from-the-glass aromas, refreshing acidity and zesty, crisp flavours. Most of its wines are unoaked with the emphasis on pure fruit and freshness. A few top ones do get the oak treatment – fermentation and ageing – and can be impressive. A great example would be the Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.
This variety performs at its best in cooler climates to bring out its leafy, lemony character whilst still retaining all that freshness. In France, Sauvignon Blanc has a crisp minerality with green apple and gooseberry flavours and distinctive notes of freshly cut grass or bell pepper. In warmer climates such as California, it often expresses more tropical flavours such as passion fruit, ripe peach and melon.
New Zealand
Sauvignon Blanc found an exciting new home in the 1970s – New Zealand’s Marlborough region. The first commercial Sauvignon vines were planted in 1973 and from the late 1980s the rise of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc has been stratospheric. Starting the avalanche was Ireland’s Ernie Hunter, whose Fumé Blanc (a Sauvignon) took the Sunday Times Wine Festival competition by storm, sweeping the board by winning Gold every session. It put New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc firmly on the wine map.
Now Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is adored by wine lovers around the world for its zingy, crisp style with intense gooseberry and passion fruit aromas, along with lemongrass and tropical fruit flavours. It’s hugely popular– delicious and refreshing and very versatile with food. Explore our range of Marlborough Sauvignons.
However, Sauvignon isn’t confined to Marlborough, you’ll also find impressive wines from Marlborough’s neighbour, Nelson and in Hawke’s Bay across the strait on the west of North Island.
Today, Sauvignon Blanc makes up around 85% of New Zealand’s wine exports, with Marlborough responsible for the majority.
Australia
Much of Australia is too hot for Sauvignon Blanc, but there are cooler pockets that excel. Western Australia’s Margaret River has a formidable reputation for its Bordeaux-style Sauvignons, with pristine citrus fruit, minerality and a glimmer of passionfruit.
There are other key regions, namely the Adelaide Hills, Limestone Coast and Clare Valley, while Sauvignon wines from more inland areas like Riverina produce lots of juicy fruit and drinkability in their whites. Explore Australia’s range of Sauvignon Blancs.
What foods pair well with Sauvignon Blanc?
Sauvignon Blanc’s vibrant acidity and lively fruit flavours make it a versatile partner to many dishes. Here are some pairing suggestions:
- Fresh seafood – Shellfish like oysters, clams, scallops and mussels are classic pairings. Grilled fish, shrimp and calamari are excellent options that complement Sauvignon Blanc’s citrus and green fruit notes.
- Goat cheese – The wine’s high acidity cuts through the creaminess of goat’s cheese and other tangy cheeses, creating a harmonious balance.
- Poultry and white meat – Chicken, turkey and pork, especially when prepared with herbs or citrus flavours, pair beautifully with Sauvignon Blanc.
- Green vegetables – A grassy, mineral-driven Sauvignon Blanc is an exciting match for green vegetables such as asparagus or zesty salads.
- Sweet or spicy dishes – Riper, more fruit-forward Sauvignon Blanc from warmer regions can stand up to slightly sweeter, spicy or richly flavoured dishes.
- Richer creamy chicken or fish – these dishes will partner a full-flavoured, richly oaked style of Sauvignon Blanc that has both excellent acidity and spicy, smoky notes and intense fruit flavours.
