Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is a dry, crisp white grape originally from France and now famous worldwide, particularly in New Zealand. Expect lime, grapefruit and gooseberry with fresh herbs and tropical fruit depending on where it’s grown. Zesty and refreshing, it’s brilliant with seafood, goat’s cheese, sushi, salads, asparagus and herby chicken dishes.

Taste:

Fresh, zingy and absolutely not short on personality.

Sauvignon Blanc is typically dry and light to medium-bodied, with high acidity and plenty of citrus. Expect lime, lemon and grapefruit alongside green apple and its famously distinctive gooseberry character.

Where it's grown makes a huge difference. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, particularly from Marlborough, can be intensely aromatic with passion fruit, tropical fruit and fresh herbs.

French examples from the Loire often lean towards citrus, herbs and mineral flavours, while Bordeaux styles can be rounder, particularly when blended with Sémillon.

You may also notice grassy, leafy or green-pepper flavours depending on the style.

Subtle? Sometimes. Easy to recognise after a few glasses? Very.

Food Pairings:

Sauvignon Blanc's high acidity and fresh flavours make it brilliant with seafood and green, herbal dishes.

Try it with prawns, oysters, mussels, crab, scallops, grilled fish, sea bass, cod or seafood salad. Sushi, sashimi and ceviche are excellent matches too.

Goat’s cheese is one of the classic pairings, whether it’s on a cheese board, baked into a tart or added to a salad.

For vegetables, try asparagus, artichokes, green beans, grilled courgette, fresh salads and dishes packed with basil, parsley, coriander or other fresh herbs.

It also works beautifully with grilled chicken, lemon chicken, herb-roasted chicken and chicken salad.

For Asian food, try Vietnamese dishes, sushi or lighter Thai dishes featuring lime, herbs and fresh vegetables.

Similar Wines:

If you enjoy Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé are essential exploring for two famous Loire Valley expressions of the grape.

Albariño offers similarly bright citrus and acidity with a salty coastal edge, while Grüner Veltliner brings herbs, citrus and its distinctive white-pepper character.

Verdejo is another great choice if fresh fruit and herbal flavours are what you love most.

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More About Sauvignon Blanc:

Sauvignon Blanc originated in France and remains particularly important in the Loire Valley and Bordeaux.

In the Loire, it's responsible for famous wines including Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. In Bordeaux, it's frequently blended with Sémillon to produce both dry white Bordeaux and some of the region's legendary sweet wines.

The grape later became an international superstar thanks in large part to New Zealand, where Marlborough built a global reputation for intensely aromatic, fruit-forward Sauvignon Blanc.

And there's a family connection you might not expect: Sauvignon Blanc crossed naturally with Cabernet Franc to produce Cabernet Sauvignon.

So yes, one of the world's biggest red grapes has Sauvignon Blanc for a mum.

Wine genetics remains excellent gossip.