Sauvignon Blanc

When you are a the supermarket or looking online for white wine there is one name that crops up time and time again – Sauvignon Blanc. This white wine is produced from a grape bearing the same name and is a prolific variety now produced all over the world. The grape originates from the Bordeaux region in France and it is from there that you will find a bunch of classic white wines but it is from the rest of the world that you will now find a range of sauvignon blanc that will suit almost everybody’s taste. In general the sauvignon blanc grape produces a crisp dry white wine however it can also be used in the production of dessert wines too, making it versatile and therefore a good grape to grow.

The name Sauvignon Blanc originates from the word ‘sauvage’ meaning wild and ‘blanc’ meaning white. However it is hardly a wild plant, cultivated across the world it is now the wines that come from New Zealand that are making the biggest impact on the wine world.

Introduced to New Zealand in the 1970s it was originally thought that the sauvignon blanc grape would be planted with the Muller Thurgau grape to be blended together to produce wine. However the Sauvignon Blanc had other ideas and has started to produce some amazing wines. The Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc white wine has become an all time classic with its crisp gooseberry flavour. The dryness of the wine makes it an excellent wine to enjoy alone or with food.

The great thing about Sauvignon Blanc is that is works well with lots of different things. Fabulous with fish, perfect with cheese, great with a light salad and even good with Sushi it is a wine with great character and universal appeal. It is however a wine that doesn’t age well and so should be drunk soon after purchase. In fact it was one of the first wines to be put into screw top bottles because of this fact.

If you like a dry white wine this could be the wine for you – it is a favourite of many wine critics and connoisseurs alike. In fact if you are interested in finding out more on this and many other wines why not visit an online independent wine retailer. They have a great selection of wines and are able to give you tasting notes for all their wines.

Fiona Muller is a qualified journalist and has worked in food and drink writing for the last few years. To find out more information about different types of Sauvignon Blanc wines visit laithwaites.co.uk