Wine 101: Sauvignon Blanc
Some people say it smells like cat pee, but most people love it for the crisp, acid-driven, floral wine full of tropical fruit flavors it makes. From Napa Valley in California to Marlborough in New Zealand, it’s grown across the world, and can be made into a wide array of excellent wines.
Wondering which grape that could possibly be? Well, wonder no more -- it’s sauvignon blanc.
If you’re ready to learn more about sauvignon blanc, where it grows, and the wines it can make, we present another Wine 101 class!
A little bit about sauvignon blanc
Originating from France’s Bordeaux region, sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape that grows across the world. It does well in warm weather, but in overly hot climates, the grapes will over-ripen, and produce flat wines that are too acidic. Depending on where it’s grown, and how it’s turned into wine, the flavors it makes can be drastically different, ranging from lush, tropical fruit flavors, to grassy, green peppery flavors.
Fun fact: sauvignon blanc, along with cabernet franc, is believed to be one of the parent grapes of cabernet sauvignon. In fact, those green pepper and grass flavors sometimes present in cabernet sauvignon were likely passed down from sauvignon blanc!
Where does it grow, and what kinds of wines does it make?
Sauvignon blanc can be found across the Old and New World. In France, it’s heavily planted in both the Loire Valley and Bordeaux. In the Loire, sauvignon blanc is mostly found in both the Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé regions, where it is made into rich and complex wines, with flavors of green fruit, and, sometimes, a flavor best described as “smoky” or “flinty.” In Bordeaux, the wines are often blended with a grape called sémillon, which is then used to make a very sweet dessert wine called Sauternes -- which is also the name of the region or appellation where that wine is made.
Compare and contrast that to the sauvignon blanc grown and made in New Zealand’s Marlborough region, where those wines will often take on flavors of tropical fruit, and often exhibit a strong, green pepper aroma. Staying in Oceania, Australia is also known for making sauvignon blanc. Like France, the wines are also often blended with sémillon, but are usually dry instead of sweet. These wines are usually less pepper-y than the sauvignon blanc made in New Zealand, and feature peach and lime flavors.
In the United States, sauvignon blanc can be found all the way from Napa Valley in California, to the vineyards in Loudoun County, Virginia. Depending on the region and the winemaker, some wines try to emulate more of a French style, with more rounded and less “green” flavors, while some will produce wines that are more similar to what’s grown in New Zealand.
More questions about sauvignon blanc? Subscribe to our Newsletter or email us.