Grape Background

Grape Origins

Sauvignon Blanc is a pure expression of the grape and its terroir. Unlike other grape varietals which are fermented in oak barrels to impart flavor, Sauvignon Blanc is typically fermented in stainless steel which imparts no flavor. This produces straight forward, fresh, fruit driven flavors that make it an easy entry into the world of wine tasting.​
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Growing Characteristics

• Common Mutations
• ​Climate/ Rainfall/ Soil/ Disease
• Harvest

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No relevant mutations

• Sauvignon Blanc is an early-season harvest varietal.
  
  • In the Northern Hemisphere, harvest occurs in between August and October.
    
  • In the Southern Hemisphere, harvest occurs between February and April. 

Wine Styles

• Single Varietal Table Wine
• Sauvignon Blanc Alternatives

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Unoaked 100% Sauvignon Blanc
This style is originally from the Loire Valley and is also found in New Zealand. Fermentation of this style occurs in stainless steel instead of oak barrels. This helps to produce high acidity and bright citrus notes.

• Flavor Notes
  Green Apple, Lime, Pear, Peach, Nectarine, Elderflower, Rosemary, Tarragon, Wet concrete, Lilikoi (Passion fruit) and grapefruit caused by flavor compounds known as Thiols. Marlborough, NZ grown Sauvignon Blanc tends to have a higher concentration of thiols than other regions.  Fresh notes of Grass, Eucalyptus, and Bell Pepper notes caused by the methoxypyrazine flavor compound.
  • ​In a cooler climate, wines are more floral with tropical fruit and melon flavors.
  • In warmer climates, flavors are more citrusy with herbal notes.

Fume Blanc (Oaked 100% Sauvignon Blanc)

• Typically 100% Sauvignon Blanc, however blends are possible.
• “In the late 1960s, Robert Mondavi popularized Fume Blanc, a name he coined for dry-fermented, barrel-aged Sauvignon Blanc. At the time, Californian Sauvignon Blanc wines were sweet and ordinary. Robert created this distinctive, high quality version with anticipation of growing consumer demand for dry wines to accompany food. The move is now acknowledged as the catalyst for recognition of this wine variety in the US.” - Robert Mondavi Winery
• Flavor Notes
  Using Oak in a Sauvignon Blanc provides toasty notes and notes of vanilla. It should be noted that this style can be hit or miss, as it is easy to over oak a Sauvignon Blanc and mask its fresh flavors.

Malolactic Fermentation

• Can be found in any of the above styles.
• The challenge of finding a wine in this style is that there may not be a note on the bottle or in the literature that denotes the technique.
• Flavor Notes:
  Though not typical for Sauvignon Blanc but often found in Chardonnay production, malolactic fermentation is used to mellow out the high acidity of the wine. This, however, is not typically done is because it reduces the “fresh” flavors of the wine and instead produces a buttery or creamy flavor.

Alternatives to Sauvignon Blanc
   • Single Varietal Alternatives
    Chennin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Torrontes, Verdejo,
    Verdicchio, Verdejo
 
 Blends

•  Vouvray (from Chennin Blanc)

Blends

• Bordeaux Blanc
• Dessert Styles

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Bordeaux Blanc (Dry)

• Blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillion and Muscadelle. Sauvignon Blanc is typically the primary grape in the blend.
• Premium dry whites from Pessac-Leognan are frequently fermented and matured in new oak barrels. This provides a richness and a concentrated nutty flavour.
• Flavor Notes Similar to unoaked Sauvignon Blanc with Sémillion providing body to the wine and Muscadelle providing aromatic floral flavor.

​Blend of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadell

• This wine style is popularized by Bordueax’s Sauternes Region
• The style is a blend of predominantly Semillion that has botrytis (noble rot) and late harvest Sauvignon Blanc. It’s also occasionally blended with Muscadell.
• Flavor Notes:
  Apricot, Honey, Peaches, Roasted walnuts and almonds, Butterscotch, Mango, Marmalade, Citrus.

Serving Suggestions

Cellaring:

• Unoaked Sauvignon Blanc is meant to be drank young
• Oaked Sauvignon Blanc, like high quality wines from Pessac- Leognan can be aged for 10+ years
• Sauternes can be aged for 5 to 40 years and even longer
  
  

Decanting Duration: None

Glass Type: Standard White Wine Glass
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Serving Temperature:

• Unoaked 46° F
• Oaked 52° F
• Sweet: 48.2-53.6° F

• Protein
• Fruits and Veg
• Herbs and Spices
• Cheese
• Desserts
• Cuisine Styles

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Protein

• Shellfish and Fish. Sushi works well. Also white fish that is either baked or grilled.
• Chicken and Turkey.

ruits and Vegetables

• Salads with tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber and a vinaigrette. Also summer salads with tart fruits like cranberry.
• Asparagus.
• Warabi (Fiddlehead ferns) sauteed with mushrooms and diced ube then bound by emulsifications of blistered sweet peppers & basil). Concept from Chef Mavro Restaurant.

Sauces and Seasonings

• Sauces that have citrus or garlic or vinegar
• Fresh herbs including basil, rosemary, thyme, sage, mint, fennel.
• Bright, fresh, olive oil

Cheese

• Goat cheese. Crottin de Chavignol, a type of goat cheese, is the classic pairing in Sancerre.
• Soft Cheeses

Insight coming soon

Styles of Cuisine

• Southeast Asian Food
• Japanese Food
• California Cuisine
• Hawaii Regional Cuisine
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At Chef Mavro a light course with variations: A demi-sphere of Big Island Chevre mousse: drizzled by kiawe white honey.  Surrounded interchangeably by Sumida watercress or arugula,
tart poha berries or tender strawberries, and at times Ogo which could also be found studded in a tarragon, chervil, shallot, olive oil and tomato concase-condiment meant to elevate even further the long-standing salt baked onaga.

Sauternes Pairings

• Roasted Turkey
• Foie Gras is a classic pairing
• Cheesecake, soft cheese, ice cream, fruit tarts and other fruit based desserts

Major Growing Regions

Cool Regions: Winkler I to II

• France (Cool Region)
• New World Cool Regions

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*Sauvignon Blanc from France will typically have a region name and not a grape varietal on the lablel.

​Photo Credit: Loire Valley Wine/ Osmany Tavares

​Photo Credit: Bordeaux-tourism.co.uk

​Photo Credit: nzwine.com/ Yealands Estate

​Photo Credit: Wine Australia

​photo credit: WoSA/ Stellenbosch Wine Routes

Warm Regions: Winkler III to IV

• Warm Regions
• Dessert Wine

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	​Bordeaux Sauternes AOCC
Climate	Winkler Region II
Rainfall	​934 mm
Elevation	​262 ft
Mean Temperature ​ Summer ​ Winter	​Daily maximum: 80° F (July) Daily minimum: 60° F (July) Daily maximum: 50° F (Jan) Daily minimum: 37° F (Jan)
​Soil	Gravel and pebbles on limestone with clay veins
​Characteristics	Blend of predominantly Sémillon with Sauvignon Blanc and as an accent, Muscadelle.  A complex, balanced bouquet with flowers and fruit. The primary aromas: almond, quince, mango, pineapple, roasted peach, dried apricot, and passion fruit. The Sémillons, notes of beeswax, almond, and hazelnut. Powerful, full-bodied, but elegant, with an entrancing sweetness and exceptional aromatic finish
Region Website	​bordeaux.com

Sources and Suggested Reading

Overview of Sauvignon Blanc

• Wikipedia.org. Sauvignon Blanc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauvignon_blanc
• Janis Robinson. Sauvignon Blanc. www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/grape varieties/white/sauvignon-blanc

Winemaking and Viticulture of Sauvignon Blanc

• University of California Davis. Sauvignon Blanc. http://iv.ucdavis.edu/files/24360.pdf
• Goode, Jamie. Thiolsand and Beyond, The Science of Sauvignon Blanc. www.wineanorak.com/thiolsandbeyond.htm

Pessac-Léognan Wine

• Robinson, Janis. The persistent whites of Pessac-Léognan. www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/the-persistent-whites-ofpessaclognan 

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