Sauvignon Blanc
Part of our ongoing series on pairing wine with food
Wines made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape are generally light to medium-bodied and acidic. Adjectives often used to describe Sauvignon Blancs are “citrusy”, “grassy”, “tart” and “oaky”. With a tendency toward grassy and green flavors, it’s an ideal pairing with springtime dishes, soups, fish, and even Mexican vegetable and poultry dishes.
Matching Food with Sauvignon Blanc
In our blog post on pairing food with Chardonnay, we offered up the following rule of thumb:
If it’s a dish you might consider putting butter on, Chardonnay might make a good pairing.
Similarly, we’d offer this advice for Sauvignon Blanc:
If it’s a dish you might squeeze a little lime on, or if the dish makes you think of springtime, Sauvignon Blanc might make a good pairing.
These aren’t hard-and-fast rules, of course, but they can be good flavor guidelines when stuck for ideas.
Notable AOC’s of Sauvignon Blanc
The Sauvignon Blanc vine often buds late, but has a quick ripening, which allows it to perform well in sunny climates that are not overwhelmingly hot. As a result, great Sauvignon Blancs can be found in many temperate regions. Some of the most notable ones are:
- Bordeaux, France (its birthplace)
- Pouilly-Fume (Loire region, France)
- Sancerre (Loire region, France)
- New Zealand
- Italy
- Chile
- South Africa
- California
- Washington State
- Oregon
Our Favorite Flavor Pairings with Sauvignon Blanc
- Asparagus
- Artichokes
- Chicken
- Chiles
- Cilantro
- Cream soups
- Cucumber
- Curry
- Dill
- White fish and shellfish
- Garlic
- Herb-heavy dishes
- Oysters
- Pork, especially grilled pork
- Scallops
- Thai food
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
Flavors to Avoid Pairing with Sauvignon Blanc
- Red meat
- Salty dishes and salty snacks
Nutrition Information
If you’re a calorie-counter, you might want to know that a 5-ounce serving of Sauvignon Blanc weighs in at 119 calories, according to the USDA.
This is part of our ongoing series introducing food and wine pairings. At BigOven, we know that some foods just go together. That’s why we’ve introduced Menus, which let you drag and drop recipes to create ideal combinations, share them with the world and create grocery lists instantly. We’ve created a Sauvignon Blanc recipe listing on BigOven – create your favorite menu and share it with friends.
Are these introductory food & wine articles useful to you? Be sure to “Like” this post. Happy cooking!