Wine Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
White wine grape with origins in Bordeaux, today Sauvignon Blanc is cultivated worldwide. The name comes from the French words sauvage and blanc, meaning 'wild' and 'white' respectively. The grape produces excellent crisp dry whites and is a part of many great dessert wines, especially from Sauternes. It is often blended with Sémillon. Studies at the University of California at Davis in 1997 showed that Cabernet Sauvignon is a cross between Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc.
Robert Mondavi is credited with inventing the name Fumé Blanc for Sauvignon Blanc in California. He had been producing a sweet Sauvignon Blanc and, starting with the 1968 vintage, Mondavi began producing dry versions. He created the term Fumé Blanc to differentiate them.
Synonyms
Also known as Blanc Doux, Blanc Fumé, Bordeaux Bianco, Douce Blanche, Fié, Fumé, Fumé Blanc, Gennetin, Gros Sauvignon, Libournais, Punéchon, Punéchou, Puinéchou, Rouchelin, Savagnou, Sarvonien, Servonien, Servoyen, Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanco, Surnin, Weisser Sauvignon
In California, the vine cultivated as Sauvignon Vert is really Muscadelle.
Where
Australia: South Australia: McLaren, Adelaide Hills
France: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Corsica, Languedoc, Loire Valley, Provence, Southwestern France
Italy: Alto-Adige, Emilia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardy, Veneto
New Zealand: Marlborough
Portugal: Douro, Minho, Trés-os-Montes, Madeira
Spain: Penedès, Catalonia, Castilla-León
USA: California, Oregon, Washington, New York, Georgia
Also: Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Croatia, Greece, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Bolivia, Cyprus, Israel, South Africa
Principal Wines
France: Bordeaux: Barsac AOC, Côtes-de-Blaye AOC, Premières-côtes-de-Blaye AOC, Bordeaux-Côtes-de-Frances AOC, Bordeaux Sec AOC, Cadillac AOC, Cérons AOC, Côtes-de-Bourg AOC, Crémant-de-Bordeaux AOC, Entre-deux-Mers AOC, Graves AOC, Graves Supérieures AOC, Graves-de-Vayres AOC, Loupiac AOC, Pessac-Léognan AOC, Premières-Côtes-de-Bordeaux AOC, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont AOC, Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux AOC, Sauternes AOC; Loire: Anjou AOC, Cheverny AOC, Coteaux-du-Giennois AOC, Menetou-Salon AOC, Pouilly-Fumé AOC, Quincy AOC, Reuilly AOC, Sancerre AOC, Saumur AOC, Touraine AOC, Touraine-Mesland AOC, Valençay AOC; Poitou-Charentes: Haut-Poitou AOC; Provence: Bandol AOC, Cassis AOC, Coteaux-d'Aix-en-Provence AOC; Southwestern France: Béarn AOC, Béarn-Bellocq AOC, Bergerac AOC, Bergerac Sec AOC, Buzet AOC, Côtes-de-Bergerac AOC, Côtes-de-Duras AOC, Côtes-du-Marmandais AOC, Floc-de-Gascogne AOC, Gaillac AOC, Monbazillac AOC, Montravel AOC, Pacherenc-du-Vic-Bilh AOC, Saussignac AOC; Burgundy: Saint-Bris AOC
Italy: Alto-Adige: Alto Adige or Dell'Alto Adige/Südtirol or Südtiroler DOC; Emilia: Colli Piacentini DOC, Colli di Parma DOC, Colli di Scandiano e di Canossa DOC, Colli Bolognesi DOC, Bosco Eliceo DOC; Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Colli Orientali del Friuli DOC, Collio Goriziano or Collio DOC, Friuli-Isonzo or Isonzo del Friuli DOC, Friuli-Annia DOC, Friuli-Aquileia DOC, Friuli-Latisana DOC, Friuli-Grave DOC, Carso DOC; Lombardy: Garda DOC, Garda Colli Mantovani DOC, Oltrepò Pavese DOC; Veneto: Breganze DOC, Colli Berici DOC, Vicenza DOC, Lison-Pramaggiore DOC
Characteristics (dry Sauvignon Blancs)
Color: Straw yellow
Nose: Vegetal (tomato leaf, grass, boxwood, crushed blackcurrant bud), Fruity (citrus, grapefruit, lime, passion fruit, kiwi), Spicy (green pepper), Mineral (especially from Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé). Warmer climates produce fruity aromas of white peach, nectarine, melon, and, if fermented at low temperatures exotic tropical fruits such as banana and pineapple.
Palate: Mostly light to medium bodied. Crisp, fresh acidity.
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