Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon blanc is a highly acidic white-wine grape flush with tropical-fruit notes. It features a clean, crisp profile, and is often aged in stainless steel. Major growing regions for sauvignon blanc as a 100 percent varietal are found throughout California, Chile, South Africa, Washington, Canada, Australia, and the Marlborough area of New Zealand.

Despite the wild popularity for New Zealand sauvignon blancs, the production in this region is relatively new, dating back to only the '70s when the first sauvignon blanc grape was harvested there. In France, the grape is used in several blends, particularly in the Loire Valley. Originally, sauvignon blanc came from the Bordeaux and Loire Valley regions of France where it was first discovered.

Sauvignon blanc grapes are blended with sémillon to make a sweet, late-harvest dessert wine from the Bordeaux region of Sauternes.

Quick Facts

• During the 1880s, the first cuttings of sauvignon blanc arrived in California. They were delivered to Cresta Blanca Winery in the Livermore Valley from the esteemed Château d'Yquem in Bordeaux, France
• Sauvignon grapes are the main thrust of Château Margaux’s Pavillon Blanc
• A bottle of 1811 Château d'Yquem, which has 20 percent sauvignon blanc grapes, sold for $117,000 in 2011, breaking the record for the most expensive bottle of wine ever purchased