Sauvignon blanc grapes

Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage ("wild") and blanc ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France (wine region).[1], a possible descendant of savagnin. Sauvignon blanc is planted in many of the world's wine regions, producing a crisp, dry, and refreshing white varietal wine. The grape is also a component of the famous dessert wines from Sauternes and Barsac. Sauvignon Blanc is widely cultivated in France, Chile, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, Moldova and California.

Depending on the climate, the flavor can range from aggressively grassy to sweetly tropical. Wine experts have used the phrase "crisp, elegant, and fresh" as a favorable description of Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley and New Zealand.[2][3] Sauvignon Blanc, when slightly chilled, pairs well with fish or cheese, particularly Chèvre. It is also known as one of the few wines that can pair well with sushi.[4]

Along with Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc was one of the first fine wines to be bottled with a screwcap in commercial quantities, especially by New Zealand producers. The wine is usually consumed young, as it does not particularly benefit from aging, except for some oak-aged Pessac-Léognan and Graves from Bordeaux that can age up to fifteen years. Dry and sweet white Bordeaux, typically made with Sauvignon Blanc as a major component, is another exception.


The Sauvignon Blanc grape traces its origins to western France in the Loire Valley and Bordeaux Regions. As noted above, it is not clear that the vine originated in western France. Ongoing research suggests it may have descended from savagnin. It has also been associated with the carmenere family. At some point in the 18th century, the vine paired with Cabernet Franc to parent the Cabernet Sauvignon vine in Bordeaux. In the 19th century, plantings in Bordeaux were often interspersed with Sauvignon vert (In Chile, known as Sauvignonasse) as well as the Sauvignon Blanc pink mutation Sauvignon Gris. Prior to the phylloxera epidemic, the insect plague which devastated French vineyards in the 19th century, these interspersed cuttings were transported to Chile where the field blends are still common today. Despite the similarity in names, Sauvignon Blanc has no known relation to the Sauvignon Rosé mutation found in the Loire Valley of France.[5]

The first cuttings of Sauvignon Blanc were brought to California by Charles Wetmore (winemaker), founder of Cresta Blanca Winery, in the 1880s.[6] These cuttings came from the Sauternes (wine) vineyards of Château d'Yquem. The plantings produced well in Livermore Valley. Eventually, the wine acquired the alias of "Fumé Blanc" in California by promotion of Robert Mondavi in 1968. The grape was first introduced to New Zealand in the 1970s as an experimental planting to be blended with Müller-Thurgau.[7]

Climate and geographyEdit

The Sauvignon Blanc vine often buds late but ripens (wine) early, which allows it to perform well in sunny climates when not exposed to overwhelming heat. In warm regions such as South Africa, Australia and California, the grape flourishes in cooler climate appellations such as the Alexander Valley area.[5] In areas where the vine is subjected to high heat, the grape will quickly become over-ripe and produce wines with dull flavors and flat acidity. Global warming has had an effect on the Sauvignon Blanc grape, with the rising global temperatures causing farmers to harvest the grapes earlier than they have in the past.[8]

The grape originated in France, in the regions of Bordeaux and the Loire Valley.[9] Plantings in California, Australia, Chile and South Africa are also extensive, and Sauvignon Blanc is steadily increasing in popularity as white wine drinkers seek alternatives to Chardonnay. The grape can also be found in Italy and Central Europe.

Wine regionsEdit



Pouilly Fumé originate from the town of Pouilly-sur-Loire, located directly across the Loire River from the commune of Sancerre. The soil here is very flinty with deposits of limestone which the locals believed imparted a smoky, gun flint flavor to the wine and hence Fumé, the French word for "smoke" was attached to the wine.[10] However, the really smoke flavoured wines are due to the fact that the wines have been fermented in barrels that have been deliberately "burnt", such that there is a distinct difference between these two styles of Pouilly Fumé. Along with Sémillon, Muscadelle and Ugni Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc is one of only four white grapes allowed in the production of white Bordeaux wine. Mostly used as a blending grape, Sauvignon Blanc is the principal grape in Château Margaux's Pavillon Blanc,[11] In the northern Rhône (wine region) Valley, Sauvignon Blanc is often blended with Tresallier to form a tart white wine.[12]

In the Sauternes region, the grape is blended with Sémillon to make the late harvest wine, Sauternes. The composition of Sauvignon Blanc varies from producer and can range from 5-50% with the Premier Cru Supérieur Château d'Yquem using 20%. A traditional practice often employed in Sauternes is to plant one Sauvignon Blanc vine at regular intervals among rows of Semillon. However, Sauvignon Blanc's propensity to ripen 1–2 weeks earlier can lead the grapes to lose some of their intensity and aroma as they hang longer on the vine. This has prompted more producers to isolate their parcels of Sauvignon Blanc.[13]

Near the edge of the Chablis commune is an AOC called Saint-Bris AOC that is gaining attention for its Sauvignon Blanc production.[14]


In Australia, particularly the Margaret River region, the grape is often blended with Sémillon. Varietal styles, made from only the Sauvignon Blanc grape, from Adelaide Hills and Padthaway, South Australia have a style distinctive from their New Zealand neighbors that tend to be more ripe in flavor with white peach and lime notes and slightly higher acidity.[7]

Chile and BrazilEdit

In the early 1990s, ampelographers began to distinguish Sauvignon Blanc from Sauvignonasse plantings in Chile. The character of non-blended Chilean Sauvignon Blanc are noticeably less acidic than the wines of New Zealand and more similar to the French style that is typical of Chilean wines. The region of Valparaíso is the most notable area for Sauvignon Blanc in Chile due to its cooler climate which allows the grapes to be picked up to six weeks later than in other parts of Chile. In Brazil, ampelographers have discovered that the vines called Sauvignon Blanc planted in the region are really Seyval Blanc.[7]

New ZealandEdit


The long narrow geography of the South Island ensures that no vineyard is more than 80 mi from the coast. The cool, maritime climate of the area allows for a long and steady growing season in which the grapes can ripen and develop a natural balance of acids and sugars. This brings out the flavors and intensity that New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs are noted for.[15] More recently, Waipara in the South Island and Martinborough, Gisborne and Hawkes Bay in the North Island have been attracting attention for their Sauvignon Blanc releases, which often exhibit subtle differences to those from Marlborough (Air New Zealand Wine Awards 2000-2006). The asparagus, gooseberry and green flavor commonly associated with New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is derived from flavor compounds known as methoxypyrazines that becomes more pronounced and concentrated in wines from cooler climate regions.[16] Riper flavors such as passion fruit, along with other notes such as boxwood, may be driven by thiol concentrations.[17]

North AmericaEdit

In North America, California is the leading producer of Sauvignon Blanc with plantings also found in Washington State and on the Niagara Peninsula and Okanagan Valley in Canada. In California wine produced from the Sauvignon Blanc grape is also known as Fumé Blanc. This California wine was first made by Napa Valley AVA's Robert Mondavi Winery in 1968. Mondavi had been offered a crop of particularly good Sauvignon Blanc grapes by a grower. At that time the variety had a poor reputation in California due to its grassy flavor and aggressive aromas. Mondavi decided to try to tame that aggressiveness with barrel agings and released the wine under the name Fumé Blanc as an allusion to the French Pouilly-Fumé.[13] The usage of the term is primarily a marketing base one with California wine makers choosing whichever name they prefer. Both oaked and unoaked Sauvignon Blanc wines have been marketed under the name Fumé blanc.[18] California Sauvignon Blancs tend to fall into two styles. The New Zealand influenced-Sauvignon Blanc have more tropical fruit undertones with citrus and passion fruit notes. The Mondavi-influenced Fumé Blanc are more round with melon notes.[7]

Other areasEdit

Sauvignon Blanc is also beginning to gain prominence in areas like South Africa's Stellenbosch and Durbanville and Italy's Collio areas.[14] It is also one of the main ingredients in Muffato della Sala, one of Italy's most celebrated sweet wines.





Synonyms Edit

Sauvignon Blanc is also known under the synonyms Beyaz Sauvignon, Blanc Doux, Blanc Fume, Bordeaux Bianco, Douce Blanche, Feher Sauvignon, Feigentraube, Fie, Fie dans le Neuvillois, Fume, Fume Blanc, Fume Surin, Genetin, Gennetin, Gentin a Romorantin, Gros Sauvignon, Libournais, Melkii Sotern, Muskat Silvaner, Muskat Sylvaner, Muskatani Silvanec, Muskatni Silvanec, Muskatsilvaner, Painechon, Pellegrina, Petit Sauvignon, Picabon, Piccabon, Pinot Mestny Bely, Pissotta, Puinechou, Punechon, Punechou, Quinechon, Rouchelin, Sampelgrina, Sarvonien, Sauternes, Sauvignon, Sauvignon Bianco, Sauvignon Bijeli, Sauvignon Blanco, Sauvignon Fume, Sauvignon Gros, Sauvignon Jaune, Sauvignon Jeune, Sauvignon Petit, Sauvignon Vert, Sauvignon White, Savagnin, Savagnin Blanc, Savagnin Musque, Savagnou, Savignon, Servanien, Servonien, Servoyen, Souternes, Sovinak, Sovinjon, Sovinjon Beli, Sovinon, Spergolina, Surin, Sylvaner Musque, Uva Pelegrina, Weisser Sauvignon, and Zöld Ortlibi.[21]

See alsoEdit


  1. K. MacNeil The Wine Bible pg 52 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN 1563054345
  2. K. MacNeil The Wine Bible pg 268 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN 1563054345
  3. Materman, "Stuff of legends: Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc."
  5. 5.0 5.1 Oz Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 221 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144
  6. Wine Pros Sauvignon blanc
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Oz Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 225 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Oz Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 222 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144
  9. Wine Lover's Page, "Sauvignon Blanc"
  10. K. MacNeil The Wine Bible pg 272 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN 1563054345
  11. K. MacNeil The Wine Bible pg 123 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN 1563054345
  12. J. Robinson Vines, Grapes & Wines pg 120 Mitchell Beazley 1986 ISBN 1857329996
  13. 13.0 13.1 J. Robinson Vines, Grapes & Wines pg 124 Mitchell Beazley 1986 ISBN 1857329996
  14. 14.0 14.1 M. Kramer Saved by Sauvignon The Wine Spectator pg 36 July 31st, 2007
  15. K. MacNeil The Wine Bible pg 807 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN 1563054345
  16. Template:Cite journal
  17. Template:Cite journal
  18. K. MacNeil The Wine Bible pg 647 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN 1563054345
  19. 19.0 19.1 Oz Clarke Encyclopedia of Grapes pg 223 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144
  20. K. MacNeil The Wine Bible pg 811 Workman Publishing 2001 ISBN 1563054345
  21. Sauvignon Blanc, Vitis International Variety Catalogue, accessed 2010-11-24

Further readingEdit


External linksEdit