With the fresh start of the new year, it’s time to expand our wine knowledge. Maybe you stick with one or two classic favorites and never stray beyond those varietals or bottles. Maybe you’ve always considered yourself a “red” or a “white” wine drinker, not realizing that this should never, ever be an “either/or” kind of topic. Hint: The answer is both. Always both.
So, with the new year underway, still brimming full of promise and optimism, perhaps it’s time to get to know some new wine bottles that stray beyond our usual, familiar brands. And we can think of no better varietal to start with than sauvignon blanc. This fresh and crisp, earthy green wine just tastes like a clean start, ridding us of our old habits and urging us to find something beautiful and new.
Why we love Sauvignon Blanc
Known for its citrus-forward favors that include grapefruit, passion fruit, gooseberry, crisp green apple, and bell pepper, this highly acidic, medium-bodied white wine is tart and bright. We adore pairing Sauvignon Blanc with various delicious foods ranging from spring vegetables with homemade pesto to creamy and buttery seafood pasta dishes. Its versatility is terrific in its ability to balance fatty foods with its high acidity and brighten greener flavors like homemade chimichurri over shrimp skewers.
Not only does it pair well with a vast array of dishes, but Sauvignon Blanc is perfect for sipping solo at either the most sparkling of cocktail parties or at home watching Netflix in your sweatpants. You really can’t go wrong with a good Sauvignon Blanc.
Sauvignon Blancs to drink in 2024
While you’re probably already familiar with this popular varietal, you may not yet know these delicious bottles. These five beautiful bottles of Sauvignon Blanc are our absolute top five to drink in 2024.
5. Buy at Shawn Fine Wine & Spirits
New Zealand is famous for its delicious Sauvignon Blanc wines, and this bottle is a shining example as to why. Rich and warm in its ripe flavors of baked apple and peach, this wine is also fresh and grassy, flirting with herbaceous notes and a subtle minerality.
4. Buy at Wine.com
Another beautiful New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is Cloudy Bay’s 2022 vintage. This classic Sauv is vibrant and mouthwatering, blending stone fruit and citrus with aromatic herbs and stony minerality for balance. It continues to impress with every sip, and has a long, expressive finish.
3. Buy at Wine.com
Explained simply, white Sancerres are the French equivalent of Sauvignon Blanc. Coming strictly from the Sancerre region of the Loire Valley, these white wines are produced solely from Sauvignon Blanc grapes. This particular bottle is beautifully aromatic and generous in floral notes. Complex and rich, its fruity notes are both citrus and tropical, with a powerful mineral aroma on the finish.
2. Buy at Wine.com
This gorgeous Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley, California, is a perfect balance of light, citrusy zing, and more velvety tropical sweetness coming from stone fruit and guava. Grapefruit and tangerine are dominant notes in this medium-bodied Sauvignon Blanc, which finishes bright and clean on the palate.
1. Buy at Robert Mondavi Winery
Robert Mondavi has been one of the more reputable names in California wines for ages and for a good reason. Robert Mondavi Winery is one of the most beautiful in all of Napa Valley, and its new downtown tasting room is nothing short of spectacular. While you’ve undoubtedly heard of the label before, you may not have yet tasted our absolute top pick for 2024 – the 2020 To Kalon Reserve Fumé Blanc. Fumé Blanc – a term coined by Robert Mondavi himself to honor the famous French Pouilly-Fumé wines – is simply another name for Sauvignon Blanc, used primarily in California. This stunning wine is borderline magical in its ability to create such vibrancy and freshness from such historic vines. Its hint of stonefruit sweetness is perfectly juxtaposed with toasty, nutty notes and a bit of oak on the finish.
Which one is right for you?
Of course, there are many factors at play when selecting the perfect wine. Budget, occasion, menu options, season, and guest list are just some of the things to consider when selecting a bottle (or case) of Sauvignon Blanc. One of the beautiful things about this particular varietal, though, is that it’s very friendly as far as wines go. Unlike a particularly tannic or oakey varietal, Sauvignon Blanc’s clean, fruity freshness and drinkability make it an easy wine for anyone to fall for. So stick to this list, and you really can’t go wrong, no matter what the occasion.
