Australia
In Australia, grapes are often mixed with Semillon in Margaret River. In Adelaide and Padthaway Hills, single-varietal Sauvignon Blanc wines are produced in a similar style to those in New Zealand, more mature in flavor and with notes of lime and peach, as well as with slightly higher acidity
Argentina
The Argentine coastal region has been producing wine since 1880 with the arrival of the first French people in the country. This terroir has unique and ideal conditions for the cultivation of Sauvignon vines; Médanos, Argentina, has soil characteristics similar to those of Bordeaux, France, due to the climate, soil quality and proximity to the Atlantic Ocean are the highest in America. The Aleste Bodega y Viñedos de Médanos Sauvignon was awarded a silver medal at the 2009 Decanter World Wine Awards in London and was among the best wines on Decanter’s list of recommendations that year.
Chile
Ampelographers began to distinguish Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignonasse strains from Chilean vineyards in the early 1990s. When blended with other grapes, Chilean Sauvignon Blanc wines tend to be more acidic than New Zealand wines and more similar to French wines, which is typical of Chilean wines. Chilean Sauvignon Blanc is more popular because of its later harvest season in the Valparaíso region, which allows grapes to be harvested up to about six weeks later than in other parts of Chile.
Brazil
Brazilian ampelographers have discovered that the vines that they thought were Sauvignon Blanc were actually of the Seyval Blanc variety.
New Zealand
In the 1990s, New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs from maritime regions such as the South Island gained popularity in the wine market. In the Marlborough region, sandy soils with slate tiles that favor low fertility and good soil drainage, producing lower vine yields and concentrated grape flavors, are the most desirable places for vineyards. The floodplain of the Wairau River offers a wide variety of grape flavors if the vineyards are planted from north to south. Wines produced from grapes that ripen late and those grown on more stony soils have tropical and lush flavors. Soils and harvest decisions give New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs their uniqueness.
The unique geographical structure of the South Island contributes to the fact that no vineyard is more than 80 kilometers from the coast. New Zealand’s maritime climate allows for a long and constant growing season in which grapes can mature and develop a natural balance of acids and sugars, resulting in intense and distinct flavors. Sauvignon Blanc wines from this region are unique because of their long and balanced maturation season and their natural balance of acids and sugars.
In recent years, Waipara, on the South Island, and Martinborough, Gisborne and Hawkes Bay, on the North Island, have attracted attention for their Sauvignon Blanc wines, which often have subtle differences from those from Marlborough. Methoxypyrazines, flavoring compounds that are accentuated and concentrated in wines from regions with colder climates, are responsible for the asparagus and currant flavors that New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc wines usually have. Thiol concentrations can produce boxwood and passion fruit flavors.
United States
California is the leading producer of Sauvignon Blanc in the United States. In addition, there are plantations in the state of Washington. To distinguish California’s Sauvignon Blanc from that of other parts of the world, the term Fumé Blanc is used. The first Sauvignon Blanc wine was produced by Robert Mondavi Winery in the Napa Valley in 1968. Mondavi produced excellent vintages of Sauvignon Blanc. However, the intensity of the variety’s aroma made it unpopular in California at the time. Barrel aging was used to reduce the intensity of the variety’s aroma, and the wine was marketed as Fumé Blanc, in reference to the French Pouilly-Fumé.
California producers first chose to market this wine as Fumé Blanc or simply as Sauvignon Blanc wine, but the wines aged in barrels and without aging went on to be marketed as Fumé Blanc. It is now common to see both Sauvignon Blanc with New Zealand influence and with Mondavian influence on the market. The New Zealand-influenced Sauvignon Blanc fruit is citric and similar to passion fruit, while the Mondavian-influenced Sauvignon Blanc is rounder and has melon notes.
Canada
There are vineyards on the Niagara Peninsula and the Okanagan Valley.
South Africa
Stellenbosch and Durbanville have become hot spots for Sauvignon Blanc.
