Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is an aromatic, grassy and herbaceous variety of white grape which makes some of the World's most popular wines.
Once thought to have originated in Bordeaux it has been discovered through DNA analysis to be from the Loire Valley in North West France. Early on, it was referred to as Fiers with the earliest recorded mention in a piece of French literature from around 1534.
Arguably the two most famous wines made from this grape are Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé it has also been known as Sauvignon Fumé, Blanc Fumé, and Fumé Blanc.
Another fantastic contribution from Sauvignon Blanc is sharing parentage with Cabernet Franc on the creation of Cabernet Sauvignon with DNA analysis showing that Bordeaux's most famous grape came from a crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.
Grown all over the wine world, Sauvignon Blanc was not known in Marlborough in New Zealand until the 1970s but is now easily one of the best-known grape and region combinations and rightly so, the quality starts high at relatively low prices and just gets better all the way up to the phenomenal Greywacke wines.
There are significant plantings in California, Chile, South Africa, Australia, Italy and Moldova and it can now be part of the blend in White Rioja. There are also vineyards planted with Sauvignon Blanc in Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, Croatia, Slovenia, Romania, Serbia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany, Portugal and a few others.
In France, it is not just the Loire Valley where it is famous for great wines, there are fantastic examples from the south in the Languedoc-Roussillon but more importantly, it combines favourably with Semillon and Muscadelle to create the lovely dry whites as well as the utterly stunning sweet whites of Bordeaux with Sauternes the finest example.
Food Matches for Sauvignon Blanc
While very often a fantastic Aperitif and superb for enjoying outdoors in the summer sun, Sauvignon Blanc is also an excellent food wine due to its relatively high acidity.
Tomatoes are often one of the trickiest foods for wine pairing but Sauvignon Blanc has
the racy acidity that can work well with them, for this you want a bit of the
under-ripe characters you can get in New Zealand. It is also a grape that can stand
up to the aggression of garlic in cooking. Good with tomatoes, good with garlic and often with an outstanding herbaceous aroma and flavour this is a grape that can accompany Pizza and Pasta well.
It works nicely alongside salads especially Greek salads with olives and feta. Fresh grassy flavours make it good with Asparagus, pea shoots, mangetout, peas and bell pepper-based dishes. Stuffed peppers are a favourite.
There is a Sauvignon Blanc out there for most kinds of fish dishes, with the more delicate Loire Valley styles working well on lighter plates with the more robust New World styles matching fuller flavoured main courses.
Full cheese boards are a tremendous match for wines made from this grape, the freshness cuts through the cheese and makes a simple supper exceedingly pleasant indeed.
Discover our Sauvignon Blanc Collection
Discover our delicious and wide ranging collection of Sauvignon Blanc wines and don't forget, if you're looking for a particular wine, please reach out to our team who'll be happy to help. Alternatively you can always explore our Wine Discovery Guide or Wine Collections for some inspiration.
