5 Things You Don’t Know about Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is the Wild White

Crisp, tangy, often with flavors of hay, grass, and green herbs, sometimes developing tropical notes, Sauvignon Blanc is a classy white and for our wine club members it is a “must pour” in warm weather.

Thought to be originally from the Bordeaux region of France (or possibly the Loire Valley), it has adapted wonderfully well as an expat.  In fact, some experts say New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is the finest in the world. Austria, Chile, South Africa and California all produce great versions of this lovely wine. It loves cooler climates that let it hang out a long time and fully develop its perfume, but it also does well in warmer climates where it can develop tropical fruit and apple notes.

5 Little-Known Facts About Sauvignon Blanc

1. It’s very easy to match to food. Just remember that it pairs beautifully with anything you would squeeze lemon on.  Cold seafood platter? Check. Grilled Halibut?  Check. Roast vegetables?  Check.  It also is terrific with Gruyere or ripe chevre cheese and anything garlicky.
2. It has a romantic past. Centuries ago, in some sunny vineyard in France, Sauvignon Blanc vines met up with Cabernet Franc.  The two crossed and it was…well…magic: they created Cabernet Sauvignon.
3. It has an alias. Fumé Blanc –coined in California in the 1960s and popularized by Robert Mondavi. Fumé Blanc is Sauvignon Blanc. Sometimes it is aged in oak, giving it smoky  notes (fumé means smoke), but it is not required that it be aged in oak.
4. It has a French best friend. In France, Sauvignon Blanc is often blended with Sémillion.
5. It has a wild side. It requires a lot of hands-on vineyard work to keep this vigorous vine from growing out of control (“sauvignon” means “wild”).

Cheers to this wild white!

Want to learn more about wine? Join our monthly wine club today!  You’ll discover different wines each month, and enjoy tasting notes and recipes from the wineries, wine tips, wine history and more.

Since 1990, it’s been our wine club’s mission to help artisan wineries share their small-batch wines with wine enthusiasts everywhere. At The California Wine Club we happen to think these wines simply taste better than the mass-produced wines that dominate store shelves.

We visit the wineries, meet the families and winemakers behind the wines and then invite them to share their favorite wines with our wine club members. Every wine featured in our wine of the month club comes from a real-working winery.