The character

Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most aromatically distinctive white grapes in the world — its calling card is pyrazine-driven herbal character (grass, gooseberry, green pepper, blackcurrant leaf) paired with high natural acidity. It is also one of the parent grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon, alongside Cabernet Franc. The variety has two great homes that produce sharply different styles: the cool limestone hills of the Loire and the cooler-climate sites of New Zealand.

Where it grows best

Loire Valley: Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé are the references, both on Kimmeridgian limestone and silex (flint), producing wines with a stony, smoky mineral spine alongside the grape’s natural herbaceousness. Bordeaux: blended with Sémillon in white Pessac-Léognan and Graves (and producing the sweet wines of Sauternes when affected by noble rot). Marlborough, New Zealand: the international benchmark for the modern, exuberantly fruity, passionfruit-and-grapefruit style. Friuli, the Steiermark of Austria, parts of South Africa, and California’s Sonoma Coast and Russian River also produce serious Sauvignon Blanc.

How it tastes

Loire style: gooseberry, lime, green apple, cut grass, white pepper, wet stone, flint smoke. Marlborough style: passionfruit, guava, grapefruit, capsicum, cut grass, jalapeño. Bordeaux style (with Sémillon): more lemon-honey, beeswax, oak influence. Acid is always high; alcohol typically 12.5-13.5%; tannin nonexistent. Pyrazine compounds are responsible for the green herbal note; thiols (released by fermentation) are responsible for the tropical-fruit explosion in Marlborough examples.

How it ages

Most Sauvignon Blanc is meant for early drinking — within three years of vintage. The exceptions are the top Pouilly-Fumé from Didier Dagueneau, the white Pessac-Léognan estates (Haut-Brion Blanc, Smith Haut Lafitte, Carbonnieux), and Cloudy Bay’s Te Koko — these can age ten years and develop honey, beeswax, and tertiary nutty complexity.

What to pair with

Goat cheese (the Sancerre-and-Crottin-de-Chavignol pairing is one of the great regional matches). Oysters and other shellfish. Sushi and sashimi. Asparagus and artichoke (Sauvignon Blanc is the rare wine that handles these). Thai food. Vietnamese rolls. Ceviche. Light salads with citrus dressing.