1/5
SweetnessDrySweet
The grape archive
Sauvignon Blanc
soh-veen-YON blonk
A pungently aromatic grape combining citrus, green herbs and bright acidity, from restrained Loire styles to exuberant New Zealand wines.
Typical flavour register
01Gooseberry02Lime03Passion fruit04Grass05Elderflower
In the glass
A visual taste profile.
These scales describe a representative dry expression. Climate, harvest date, yields and winemaking can move an individual wine in another direction.
5/5
AciditySoftFresh
1/5
TanninSilkyFirm
2/5
BodyLightFull
5/5
FruitSavouryFruit-led
Where it grows
From origin to the wider vineyard.
The first country is the grape’s principal reference point; the remaining countries show important established cultivation rather than a complete planting census.
France
Core countrySancerre · Pouilly-Fumé
New Zealand
EstablishedMarlborough
Chile
EstablishedCasablanca
South Africa
EstablishedStellenbosch
United States
EstablishedSmaller but established plantings
Three useful expressions
Bright & unoaked
Fresh fruit and stainless-steel ageing keep the wine direct and energetic.
Textured & gastronomic
Lees contact, ripe fruit or subtle oak can add breadth without losing freshness.
Complex & age-worthy
Selected sites and careful maturation create more layered, cellar-worthy wines.
Handling
Serve7–10 °C
GlassMedium aromatic-white glass
DecantNot normally needed
Cellar1–8 years; serious wines longer
At the table
Pair it by weight, freshness and aroma.
How we recognise this grape
We look for a direct aromatic attack: citrus, gooseberry, fresh herbs or blackcurrant leaf. The dry finish and brisk acidity distinguish Sauvignon Blanc from more perfumed but softer aromatic grapes.
This is a practical tasting cue from our Wineflight experience, not a fixed recipe: origin, ripeness and winemaking can shift the profile.
Reference databases and further readingVIVC · Variety database ↗OIV · Vitivinicultural data ↗Wine Folly · Grape guide ↗