The Significance of Sauvignon Blanc

Vineyard of Sauvignon Blanc in Chile. (Shch/Shutterstock)

Sauvignon blanc is one of the world’s most popular white wines, and for a columnist who started writing about wine 45 years ago, that’s a shock.

I’ve always been a fan of it and hoped it would get popular. In the early 1980s, I wrote that this variety was well under the radar and was unlikely to gain wide traction.

I hope that column in some small way helped put sauvignon blanc on the vinous map as well as on the tongues of readers. However it happened, the variety now thrives worldwide.

What makes it endlessly fascinating to those who get genuinely serious about it is how it reflects the places from which it comes. Thus, it’s a case example of last week’s column in which I wrote about the regional identity of certain foods and wines.

Site specificity does apply to sauvignon blanc, most obviously in certain soils and climates. Here are a few:

Marlborough, New Zealand

At the northern tip of the South Island, this area is a textbook example of the variety’s natural herbal-ness.

The aromas of the best occasionally are tropical with hints of fresh red bell peppers, newly mown hay, gooseberries, and a trace of what’s often described as cat litter box.

That last descriptor doesn’t sound appealing, but when you combine all the different elements in New Zealand sauvignon blanc, the style can be seductive. The wines work brilliantly with shellfish, marrying the seafood’s brininess with the usual lime-scented, higher-acidity wine.

To make it more approachable, many producers leave a bit of residual sugar. They’re best consumed young.

Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre, France

These twin regions at the eastern edge of the Loire Valley produce similar sauvignon blancs, each with slightly different aromatics.

The former tends to have a smoky aroma, often referred to as gunflint; the latter tends to be leaner and more austere with hints of dried lime and slate/minerals. Though most of these can be drunk young, the best can take on an astounding bouquet with bottle aging.

Dry Creek Valley, California

Perhaps the most definitive West Coast region for growing this grape is in this northern Sonoma County area. It’s cool enough to display dried herb components that make it distinctive.

Occasionally these wines display a bell pepper note, but rarely is it strong enough to be green or stemmy. Such a complexity often gives sauvignon blanc a fascinating aromatic after three to six years of aging.

I also love sauvignon blanc from the Russian River Valley, just south of Dry Creek.

Napa Valley

This iconic region best known for its cabernet has developed a secondary interest in sauvignon blanc, and the results can be rewarding, if pricey.

Most Napa sauvignon blanc producers pay a lot for grapes, so the wines are expensive. To justify the prices, winemakers occasionally put sauvignon blanc into French oak barrels for aging.

That makes them fascinating, and they can be tasty—and some will age for a good 10 to 12 years in the bottle. However, prices can be $50 to $85.

Other regions now doing a good job with sauvignon blanc include Chile; Alto Adige, Italy; South Africa; and Alexander Valley, Sonoma County.

Wine of the Week

2021 Dry Creek Vineyards Fumé Blanc (sauvignon blanc), Sonoma County ($16): This pioneering winery (started 1972) began making this variety 50 years ago and soon discovered it was in the perfect spot for growing sauvignon blanc. The aroma is classic Dry Creek hay and lime, and the wine is perfectly structured to work with halibut and other firm fish. Often seen at about $13, a great value!