Cut grass, grapefruit and flint: the zesty white that wakes up the palate.
Where it grows
Sauvignon Blanc comes from France: the Loire Valley and Bordeaux. In the eastern Loire it makes Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, crisp and mineral. In Bordeaux it is often blended with Sémillon, for dry whites and for sweet Sauternes.
New Zealand made it world-famous. Marlborough, on the South Island, gives an intense, tropical style that changed how the world drinks white wine. It also grows in Chile, South Africa, Austria’s Styria and north-east Italy. It likes cool climates, which keep its acidity bright.
How it tastes
Sauvignon Blanc is light to medium-bodied with high, refreshing acidity. The aromas are green and citrusy: cut grass, gooseberry, lime, grapefruit and green pepper. Warmer places add passion fruit and tropical notes.
Loire Sauvignon is more restrained, with flint and wet-stone minerality. New Zealand is louder and fruitier. Most Sauvignon is unoaked and best drunk young and fresh, though top Sancerre and oaked Bordeaux blends can age.
What to eat with it
- Goat’s cheese: the classic. Tangy cheese and Loire Sauvignon come from the same place.
- Fish and chips: acidity works like a squeeze of lemon.
- Ceviche: lime-cured fish needs a white with even more acidity.
- Asparagus and green vegetables: green flavours match green notes.
- Thai salads and herbs: a zesty New Zealand style loves coriander and lime.
- Oysters: a crisp Sancerre or Touraine works too.
A little history
Sauvignon Blanc has grown in the Loire and Bordeaux for centuries, and it is a parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. The first commercial vineyards in Marlborough, New Zealand, were planted only in 1973. Within twenty years, its bright, tropical style had won the world over and put New Zealand on the wine map. Today Sauvignon Blanc makes up the large majority of the country’s wine exports. Back in the Loire, Sancerre’s hilltop village and its chalk and flint soils remain the reference.
One bottle to start with
Domaine Vacheron Sancerre Blanc (about €28), a biodynamic family domaine on the flinty hills of Sancerre. For everyday drinking, a Touraine Sauvignon gives the same style at about half the price.
Good to know
- The name comes from the French sauvage, wild, after the grape’s wild-growing vigour.
- Pouilly-Fumé (Sauvignon Blanc, Loire) is not the same as Pouilly-Fuissé (Chardonnay, Burgundy).
- Serve it cold, at 8–10 °C, and drink it within two or three years for most styles.
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Photo: Vl, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Prices were checked in October 2026 and can change. Please drink responsibly. L’abus d’alcool est dangereux pour la santé, à consommer avec modération.