Getting to Know
Sauvignon Blanc Wine
Sauvignon Blanc (saw-veen-yawn blahnk) is one of the most identifiable grapes in the white wine world with its crisp, high acidity, low tannins and notable aromatics.
While Sauvignon Blanc wine – and the grape – got its start in the South of France the grape is now widely grown around the world with each region producing different styles of Sauvignon Blanc wine, yet oddly similar due to the nature of the grape.
Sauvignon Blanc has a chemical compound called pyrazine which gives grassy, herbal or bell pepper flavors.
When grown in cooler climates or picked early, the herbaceous green character is most prominent. In warmer climates or when the grape is allowed to hang longer on the vine, the grassy character lessons in favor of riper fruit flavors ranging from passion fruit to melon.
The dominant flavors on the nose and palate for Sauvignon Blanc wines include grass, hay, grapefruit, gooseberry, (cool climates), melon, asparagus (warm climates ), gravel, flint (Loire ), gooseberry and white grapefruit (New Zealand) toast, oaky (oak-aged).
Sauvignon Blanc is also expressive of its terroir (land and overall growing environment). Most Sauvignon Blancs are aged in stainless steel and bottled while fresh and youthful.
However, for the finest Sauvignon Blancs are blended with other white grapes (Semillon), fermented, and aged in oak.
Fun Fact
Sauvignon Blanc is a grape indigenous to France, thus earning its name, “wild white” .
WHERE TO FIND THE Sauvignon Blanc Grape
Well known regions for producing Sauvignon Blanc wines include Sancerre, Pouilly- Fume, Bordeaux and New Zealand. The top producing countries are France, New Zealand, Chile, USA and South Africa.
UNITED STATES
In the 1970’s Robert Mondavi named his barrel-aged Sauvignon Blanc “Fume Blanc”, a wine name that lives on today. Oak-aged Sauvignon Blanc is a popular style with great producers coming out of North Coast and Sonoma.
NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand produces Sauvignon Blanc’s that are known for extreme acidity and notes of herbs and grapefruit. The wines are zippy and zesty!
HOW TO ENJOY Sauvignon Blanc WINE
Sauvignon Blanc food pairing
Sauvignon Blanc wine is very food-friendly. It pairs well with Chicken, Pork Chops, White Fish, Shellfish, Basil, Thyme, Fennel, Dill, Fennel, Goat Cheese and Crème fraîche.
Practical Tips for Sauvignon Blanc Wine
Glassware: Drink out of a white wine glass.
Shelf life: About 3 years.
Bottle prices: About $5-$15.
Serving Tip: This wine benefits from lengthy decanting and is best enjoyed at room temperature.
Sauvignon Blanc WINE RECOMMENDATIONS
Looking for Sauvignon Blanc recommendations? Here are a few suggested sips.
Maia Parish
Carpe Travel collaborated with Maia Parish to compile the grape varietal overviews. Maia Parish is an award-winning events producer, sommelier, wine judge, and media consultant. She lives in Denver, Colorado and likes to eat copious amounts of food. You can find her here www.linktr.ee/thewinemistress.
Subscribe to Sip in More of the World
Valerie Quintanilla is an American expat in Alba, Italy. Val was an original Carpe Travel contributor before packing up her American life to chase her Italian dreams.
Today she runs a custom travel / wine tour planning business while moonlighting as a marketing consultant for wine and travel business in Europe. She has been featured in Wine Enthusiast, Food & Wine Magazine, Open Skies (Emirate Airlines inflight magazine), and more.