Sauvignon blanc’s universal popularity is a testament to its unique and changeable taste. Grown widely in both the Old World and New World, each region offers up a distinct and delicious take on this most versatile of varieties.

A green-skinned grape that has become one of the most widely distributed in the world, is any summer gathering in Australia complete without a bottle of sauvignon blanc? With a natural crispness and freshness that appeals to the masses, it is now comfortably the most popular white wine consumed in Australia.

But what should a budding oenophile know about this variety over and above its famed drinkability?

The grape’s name offers hints to its past; its etymology is most likely from the French sauvage (''wild'') and blanc (''white''). It is most likely a grape indigenous to the southwest of France, although there have been suggestions that it is actually a descendent of the Savagnin grape (although definitive DNA evidence is still lacking).

Either way, Bordeaux and the Loire Valley appear to be where sauvignon blanc first grew. These regions remained the premier producers of the wine for centuries, until things began to change in the late 1800s. It was at this time that vines were first exported to the New World. California was its first port of call, with initial cuttings being planted in the 1880s. Small plots sprung up in Argentina and Chile thereafter, but with the public palate not yet set on white wines, the grape didn’t explode into popularity until much later.

The grape was introduced into New Zealand in the 1970s, and it thrived. Within a few short years New Zealand sauvignon blancs had made a name for themselves internationally, their famous tropical and fruity flavours offering a truly intriguing change from the traditional styles of the Old World. 

Seeing this trans-Tasman success, Australian wineries – predominantly in the Adelaide Hills and Margaret River – began to see the terrific export opportunity that unique sauvignon blanc offered. Up until then chardonnay was seen as almost untouchable in terms of Australian whites, capturing the overwhelming majority of the market. But bit by bit, the fresh and fruity taste of sauvignon blanc began to eat into this dominance. 

Today sauvignon blanc is Australia’s highest-selling white wine, taking the title that chardonnay had held for decades. And through its use in SSB (semillon sauvignon blanc) blends, its popularity and importance shows no sign of receding.

Sauvignon blanc’s most unique characteristic is its inherent flexibility. Its flavours are truly dynamic, and are defined by both the soil in which it’s planted and the climate in which it grows. It’s thanks to this fact that each sauvignon blanc-growing region of the world offers its own unique taste, with the breadth of flavour from region to region as enjoyable as it is distinct. 

As a broad generalisation, all sauvignon blancs will feature relatively high acidity, and will be notably dry. The lack of sweetness, however, is counterbalanced by a wealth of fruit flavours ranging from lime and green apple through to passionfruit and peach. 

But sauvignon blanc’s unique taste can be largely put down to the wealth of green herbal notes present. Depending on its origin you can expect sauvignon blanc to deliver grass, green capsicum, jalapeno, lemongrass and celery. 

You’ll notice a theme to the herbal flavours mentioned above, and this offers a hint as to the perfect food pairing for sauvignon blanc. The key is to go green. Salads, fruits, or fresh foods that feature generous helpings of rosemary, basil, mint or coriander will match the wine wonderfully.

Treat your tastebuds to a sauvignon blanc world tour, as the variety of this varietal is something to behold. 

Begin with our own backyard by sampling an Adelaide Hills Shaw and Smith or an award winning Flowstone from Margaret River. Follow this with a fruity and tropical drop from New Zealand’s famed Marlborough region – Squealing Pig offers incredible quality at an equally incredible price.  

Old World wines serve to give you a taste of the past, with many wineries’ sauvignon blanc processes untouched for centuries. Try a French Sancerre or an Italian Cantina Terlano Quarz.

Important information:

*$100 Qantas Hotels and Holidays Voucher: Offer ends 12 October 2023 11:59pm (AEDT) unless sold out prior. and excludes beer and spirits. Qantas may withdraw or extend these offers at any time. A$100 Qantas Hotels and Holidays voucher will be eligible to members who spend $300 or more at Qantas Wine between 5 - 12 October 2023. The voucher is subject to a $200 minimum spend and is redeemable on bookings made at qantas.com/hotels or qantas.com/holidays. Voucher expires on 13 February 2024. Limit of one voucher per member. Voucher is single use only and cannot be combined or used in conjunction with any other offer. Any unused balance of the voucher will be forfeited and is not redeemable for cash. Eligible participants will be sent their A$100 Qantas Hotels and Holidays voucher on 15 November 2023.

^Earn 5,000 bonus Qantas Points: Promo code is valid for one order per member, cannot be used with any other offer or promo code and is valid for first time customers only. Spend $99 or more on your first purchase with Qantas Wine, enter FIRSTORDER promo code at checkout in order to receive 5,000 bonus Qantas Points. Offer is only available for customers who have never shopped with Qantas Wine before. Qantas may withdraw or extend these offers at any time. Allow up to 8 weeks for points to appear in your Qantas Frequent Flyer account.

~Qantas Recommends: Offer ends 5 October 2023 11:59pm (AEDT) or until stocks last.

1. Qantas Frequent Flyer members who are not Qantas Wine Premium members will earn 1 Qantas Point per dollar spent and Qantas Wine Premium members will earn 3 Qantas Points per dollar spent on Eligible Products and Services purchased through qantas.com/wine. Qantas Points can be earned on cash only purchases and the cash component of Points Plus Pay purchases on eligible products. The earning and redemption of Qantas Points are subject to the Qantas Frequent Flyer Terms and Conditions. Allow up to 6 weeks for Qantas Points to appear in your Qantas Frequent Flyer account.

2. Available for delivery within Australia only, subject to availability.

3. Bonus points available on selected cases only. The selected cases can change at any time.

4. Qantas Business Rewards members that have provided an individual Qantas Frequent Flyer number in their Qantas Business Rewards account before making a purchase will earn 2 Qantas Points per dollar spent for the business. The business’ name and individual Qantas Frequent Flyer number linked with the Qantas Business Rewards account must be added at checkout in order to earn points for the business. Qantas Points for the business are earned in addition to the points earned by the individual Qantas Frequent Flyer. Retrospective claims cannot be made. The additional points will be credited to the Qantas Business Rewards account within 30 days of purchase. For more information visit Qantas Business Rewards.

5. Points Club members will receive complimentary Qantas Wine Premium membership for the duration of their Points Club membership. Points Club Plus members will receive complimentary Qantas Wine Premium membership, plus an additional 10% discount on marked prices at Qantas Wine on all products, excluding Penfolds, for the duration of their Points Club Plus membership. 10% discount will be applied at checkout and cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotional offer or voucher code, except for the Points Club Plus birthday vouchers. To activate the complimentary Qantas Wine Premium membership, Points Club and Points Club Plus members will need to log into qantas.com/wine and the Qantas Wine Premium membership will automatically be added to their cart and benefits will be applied. For more information on Points Club visit qantas.com/pointsclub

All wine brands in the Sustainable Sips program hold Sustainable Winegrowing Australia Certification. Certified wineries have been independently audited against the Australian wine industry sustainability standard. While this means that practices within the winery meet the industry sustainability standard, there is no guarantee that all grapes used to make the wine have been sourced from a certified sustainable vineyard.

Liquor Act 2007 (NSW): No alcohol can be sold or supplied to anyone under 18. It’s against the law. Licence Number: NSW LIQP770016736, NT IRL0201, SA 57900154

For more Terms and Conditions, please click here.