Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety originating from Bordeaux region of France (like many grapes). The grape was named after the French word sauvage ("wild") and blanc ("white"). Currently, Sauvignon blanc is widely cultivated in many of the world's prominent wine regions including Australia, New Zealand, France, South Africa, California, and South America all producing crisp and refreshing white varietal wines. The wine is usually consumed young and unlike many wines, it doesn't get better with aging; however Bordeaux's sweet wines depend on sauvignon blanc as an ingredient, providing an elegance, complexity & freshness to balance the intense sweetness. Chile, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa all produce spectacular 'late harvest' or 'botrytis' sweet wines from sauvignon blanc.
When the world grew tired of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc was ready to step up to the mark. The producers of New Zealand led the charge producing clean, zesty, racy sauvignon blanc wines with tropical fruit and gooseberry flavours. Sauvignon blanc is usually a dry white wine with distinctive, fragrant, penetrating fruit qualities and passion-fruited charmer. New Zealand has taken this grape to new heights in the cool Marlborough region producing exceptional and very distinctive sauv blancs; Cloudy Bay was one of the leaders of the New Zealand stampede, but there are many others stepping up to the plate, including Monkey Bay, Twin Islands, Giesen, Oyster Bay and Wither Hills. These wines all offer that elusive penetrating floral character with an abundant bouquet; it is a wine that is always crisp, elegant and refreshing with bright refreshing acidity...
New Zealand sauvignon blanc is highly reputable throughout the world; known as the definitive benchmark style for the varietal, boasting distinctive, exuberant and pungent flavours which have astounded wine critics on a worldwide scale. Oz Clarke described the grandiosity of New Zealand sauvignon blanc's, in his Wine Atlas; "No previous wine had shocked, thrilled, entranced the world before with such brash, unexpected flavours of gooseberries, passionfruit and lime, or crunchy green asparagus spears...an entirely new, brilliantly successful wine style that the rest of the world has been attempting to copy ever since".
By the early 1990s, sauvignon blanc was widely accepted as the flagship wine of New Zealand with an accelerating demand on a local and international level. Today, it is New Zealand's most widely planted varietal, representing almost 25% of all vines. Depending on climate, the flavour can range from strongly acidic and grassy, to sweetly floral or tropical; flavours can be distinguished and identified by the various areas of New Zealand. Southern sauvignon blanc styles are typically lighter and crisper laced with passionfruit and sharper fruit flavours as well as acidic, gooseberry and distinctive herbal qualities. The longer, cooler growing conditions in the Southern regions promotes stronger and more vibrant fruit flavours together with higher acidity levels. Well over two thirds of sauvignon blanc vines are found in Marlborough. Marlborough, New Zealand's highly famed region for sauvignon blanc, has relatively low rainfall during ripening which helps protect the thin-skinned and tight-clustered bunches of sauvignon blanc grapes from developing rot, botrytis and other fungal diseases. The optimal drainage and soil quality of this area greatly assists viticulturists in attaining the finest grape characteristics.
The quality of wine making throughout Australia has been exceptional in the past 5 years and sauvignon blanc wines especially within the cooler parts of Australia have benefited from overall highly suitable weather. The number of plantings of sauvignon blanc is on the rise in Australia and with over the next 5 years the quality will be comparable to what we expect from New Zealand. Currently, Australian sauvignon blanc wines have quite impressive flavour profiles offering rich, ripe floral fragrances infused with an acidic crisp freshness. The finest within Australia are currently coming from the areas with a cooler climate, which tend to allow the grapes to achieve perfect concentration and acidity. Australia can expect great sauvignon blanc to come from areas such as the Yarra Valley, the Pyrenees Wine Region, the Adelaide Hills, Margaret River and Tumbarumba.
The vibrant essence of sauvignon blanc generally matches well with fresh seafood, scallops and white fish especially when served with zesty garlicky sauces. Most fresh seafood matches exceptionally well, even sushi (usually very hard to match) is fantastic when accompanied by a crisp sauvignon blanc! Fresh fragrant salads with snappy capsicums are enhanced by the flavour in sauvignon blanc, while acidic foods or vinegar-based dressings harmonise to perfection. Sauvignon blanc is an extremely food-friendly wine and matches well with mostly anything; from Italian creamy pasta dishes to spicy Thai food. It’s terrific with appetizers such as cheeses, dips and colourful antipasto platters. Sauvignon blanc brings out the best in many light spring dishes, enhancing even the most zesty or unusual foods.