Sauvignon Blanc! The 2025 Guide To The Best Sauvignon Blanc Wines

Crisp, dry and oh so refreshing, Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most popular varieties of white wine. Ranging from citrus to grassy to tropical fruit (grapefruit, pineapple, mango) to mineral aromas and flavors, it's one of our favorite and most refreshing wines to drink in the summer.

The Best Sauvignon Blanc - The Reverse Wine Snob Picks!

A parent of Cabernet Sauvignon (along with Cabernet Franc), this green-skinned grape is thought to have originated in the Bordeaux region of France like so many other notable varieties. While Bordeaux (Sauternes) and the Loire Valley (Sancerre) still produce excellent examples, winemakers are producing delicious Sauvignon Blanc all over the world.

New Zealand and the Marlborough region in particular has excelled with this variety but Chile, California, Australia, South Africa and northeastern Italy also produce quite a few tasty examples. Each area has developed their own distinctive traits over the years so it's also great fun to compare and contrast these different regional styles.

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The variety is also known as Fume Blanc, Muskat-Silvaner or just Sauvignon in some regions and is often blended with the variety Semillon, particularly in France. Typically made in stainless steel and consumed while young, you can also find excellent examples aged in oak that have some aging potential. It makes a great pairing for cheese, fish, chicken, salads and other summer fare.

And one last note - the aroma described as "cat pee" is a real thing in this variety, caused by a unique chemical compound in grapes raised in cooler climates. Whether or not it truly smells like cat pee or just a more green, herbal grassiness, don't fear. Most bottles produced these days avoid overwhelming you with this flavor and when combined with all the other aromas and flavors in Sauvignon Blanc it can actually be quite enjoyable!