Sauvignon blanc: Back to Winemaking – Back to Grapes – Back to Countries
Top thirteen grapes:
Reds – Cabernet Franc – Cabernet Sauvignon – Malbec – Merlot –
Whites – Chardonnay – Gewürztraminer – Muscat –
Pinot blanc – Pinot gris – Riesling – Sauvignon blanc
Next twenty-five grapes:
Reds – Barbera – Carignan – Gamay – Grenache – Mourvèdre – Petit Verdot –
Sangiovese – Tannat – Tempranillo – Touriga Nacional – Zweigelt
Whites – Albariño – Aligoté – Arinto – Chenin blanc – Malvasia –
Müller-Thurgau – Muscat-Ottonel – Sémillon – Tămâioasă Românească –
Traminer – Ugni-blanc – Viognier – Welschriesling
– and Cava
Its name is from the French words sauvage (wild) and blanc (white). Sauvignon blanc is usually considered as an indigenous white wine grape from the Bordeaux region of France. It is one of the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon. The name was first mentioned in a French book in 1534 (Francois Rabelais in Gargantua). Jancis Robinson’s book ‘Wine Grapes’ says it originates in the Loire (Though it has no connection with the Sauvignon rosé from the Loire). Others suggest it descends from Savagnin.  In the 18thc Bordeaux often planted Sauvignon blanc with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon and these often crossed. Some of the vine cuttings taken to Chile in the 1970s were from these hybrids, as a result they became known as Sauvignornasse. Back in the 1880s cuttings were taken from the Sauternes area to California. It was also introduced into New Zealand in the 1970s, where it was blended with Müller-Thurgau. DNA analysis in 2009 suggested that the Sémillon variety was closely related and in 2013 it suggested that its parents were Savagnin Blanc and Traminer. |
 Image: halleckvineyard.com Taste/smell: Its strong bouquet makes it easy to identify; it is therefore known as a ‘bouquet ‘variety. It produces, mostly dry, wines with noticeable acidity and is said to have flavours of bell peppers, cut grass and nettles and of citrus, elderflower, gooseberry and passion fruit. In warmer climates, it can have grapefruit and peach notes. It is usually consumed young as varietal Sauvignon blancs tend to develop aromas reminiscent of peas and asparagus with extended aging. Varieties/Mutations: Colour mutations are Sauvignon Gris and Sauvignon Rouge. A flavour mutation called Sauvignon Musqué exists in California. | Description: Image source: creative-formulas.com/ Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety. In some regions the vines are harvested at intervals during its ripening so that different blending characteristics may be exploited. The early to medium ripening vine is very susceptible to botrytis, powdery mildew and wood diseases in general, such as eutypiosis, but it is resistant to downy mildew.  Image source: www.plantgrape.fr It has small to medium circular adult leaves, with five lobes with a blistered leaf blade that is curly on the edges. The underside of the leaves has a low density of erect hairs and a medium density of prostrate hairs. The berries are ellipsoid in shape. |
| Sauvignon blanc producing countries: Key regions are France, Chile, Romania, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Bulgaria, the states of Oregon, Washington, and California in the US… Big Five Producers: (overall 42% of vineyards, 64% of wine production and 41% of wine consumption – OIV 2022) Spain: Aragon, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Catalonia, Murcia, Navarre and Valencia. France: Bordeaux, Languedoc, Loire. Madiran, Provence and Roussillon. Italy: Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino. USA: New York, Oregon, Texas, Virginia and Washington. Chile: Aconagua, Atacama, Coquimbo, Maipo Valley and Southern Chile. | Prominent Sauvignon blanc wines: Barsac (sweet), Graves, Pouilly-Fumé, Sancerre, Sauternes (sweet).  Sauvignon blanc was one of the first fine wines to be bottled with a screwcap in commercial quantities. |
| Next Ten Largest Producers: (with big five, responsible overall for 75% of vineyards, 88% of wine production, 64% of wine consumption – OIV 2022) Argentina: BBuenos Aires, Jujuy, La Pampa, Mendoza and Patagonia. Australia: South West Australia,, Tasmania, Victoria and West Australia. China: none detected. Germany: Palatinate and Rheinhessen India: Bangalore and Hampi Hills. New Zealand: North Canterbury, Central Otago, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Marlborough, Nelson, N North Canterbury, Waipara, Wairarapa and Waikato. Portugal: Tejo, and Trás-os-Montes. Romania: Banat. South Africa: Cape South Coast, Cape Winelands, Coastal Region, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Olifants River and Plettenburg Bay. Turkey: Aegean and Marmara. | Grape is also known as: Beyaz Sauvignon, Blanc Doux, Blanc fumé, Bordeaux bianco, Champagne, Chang Xiang Si, Douce blanche, Feher Sauvignon, Feigentraube, Fié, Fié dans le Neuvillois, Fumé, Fumé blanc, Genetin, Gentin à Romorantin, Libornais, Melkii Sotern, Muskat Silvaner, Muskatsilvaner, Muskat Sylvaner, Painechon, Pellegrina, Petit Sauvignon, Picabon, Piccabon, Pinot Mestny Bely, Pissotta, Puinéchou, Punéchon, Rouchelin, Qunichon, Sampelgrina, Sauternes, Sauvignon fumé, Sauvignon gros, Sauvignon jaune, Sauvignon petit, Sauvignon vert, Savagnin blanc, Savagnin musqué, Savignon, Savagnou, Sciampagna, Servanien, Souternes , Sovinak, Sovinjon, Sovinon, Spergolina, Surin, Sylvaner musqué, Uva Pelegrina, Zoeld Ortlibi… |
| Others countries growing Sauvignon blanc: Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, Moldova, Morocco, Mexico, Myanmar, North Macedonia, Russia, sSerbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uruguay | Sauvignon Blanc was used as a crossing partner for new varieties Agorra, Arriloba, Golia, Incrocio Bruni 54, Misket Sungurlarski, Sauvignon Cita, Sauvignon Gryn, Sauvignon Kretos, Sauvignon Nepis, Sauvignon Rytos, Sauvignon Sary, Sauvin, Sirmium and Úrréti.also has many genetic siblings: |
Image source: wineandearth.com
Sauvignon blanc: Back to Winemaking – Back to Grapes – Back to Countries
Top thirteen grapes:
Reds – Cabernet Franc – Cabernet Sauvignon – Malbec – Merlot –
Whites – Chardonnay – Gewürztraminer – Muscat –
Pinot blanc – Pinot gris – Riesling – Sauvignon blanc
Next twenty-five grapes:
Reds – Barbera – Carignan – Gamay – Grenache – Mourvèdre – Petit Verdot –
Sangiovese – Tannat – Tempranillo – Touriga Nacional – Zweigelt
Whites – Albariño – Aligoté – Arinto – Chenin blanc – Malvasia –
Müller-Thurgau – Muscat-Ottonel – Sémillon – Tămâioasă Românească –
Traminer – Ugni-blanc – Viognier – Welschriesling
– and Cava
