The Best 33 Sauvignon Blancs from Sancerre to New Zealand

Not long ago, we sent out a poll to Food & Wine readers and asked what their favorite white wine was. Generally, if you send out a poll with that question, the answers come in, the gears whir, and the vast machinery spits out an answer: Chardonnay. It’s been the most popular white wine variety in the U.S. for decades. However, F&W readers — a far-sighted, eclectic, original bunch to be sure — beg to differ. Your fave white grape? It’s Sauvignon Blanc.

And why not? Sauvignon Blanc is zingy and fresh; it does the jitterbug while Chardonnay is doing the waltz. In some places, New Zealand particularly, it takes on notes of cut grass and bell peppers (loved by many, loathed by some). In other places, it’s flinty and austere. In still others, it mellows into melon or mango notes.

Always, Sauvignon Blanc suggests citrus of one form or another — grapefruit, lemon, lime. It’s rarely aged in oak (though it can be) and rarely rich in style (though it can be). Done well, it’s got a kind of finger-snap zip that wakes up your palate, one reason that it’s also so good as an aperitif.

Almost every wine-producing country grows Sauvignon Blanc, though not necessarily all of them should. It isn’t a grape that does well in super-warm climates, where it loses its hallmark bright acidity and ends up pudgy in a weird way.

But there are plenty of places where it does brilliantly, from New Zealand to California to Chile to France. Some are surprising — Austria’s Styria, for example — and some are utterly classic, like France’s Loire Valley, home to the Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé appellations.

So here, Food & Wine fans, are 33 of the best Sauvignon Blancs to buy right now.

$20 or less

2023 Arona Sauvignon Blanc ($14)

There’s a lot of grapefruit zest here in both this wine’s scent and its flavor, underpinned by hints of flint and cracked pepper. It would be a great one for oysters on the half shell, down on the rocks by the ocean; though if you don’t have an ocean handy, sitting by a pool would work excellently, too.

2022 Château Bonnet Sauvignon Blanc ($16)

Like many Bordeaux blancs, this zesty white blends Sauvignon Blanc with some Sémillon. It’s appealingly direct, with a kind of lemon-gumdrop character and a bright, tangy finish.

2023 Los Vascos Colchagua Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($15)

This Sauvignon, from the Chilean arm of France’s Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite, leans more toward the variety’s lime and grapefruit side, with fresh, lively flavors and a vivid finish.

2023 Mount Riley Limited Release Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ($17)

Mount Riley’s limited-release bottling draws on grapes from the Buchanan family’s best parcels, in 2023 a mix of warmer Wairau vineyards and cooler Awatere Valley ones. It’s classically New Zealand: grassy and peppery (but fragrant rather than piercing), with ripe grapefruit flavors.

2023 Otu Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ($19)

Otu’s estate is in the Awatere Valley, about a mile from the coast, and the wind off the Cook Strait gives its wines a distinctive floral aspect together with classic grass and citrus notes; in a sense, it has New Zealand character, but not the New Zealand in-your-face-ness that Sauvignon gets here sometimes.

2021 Montes Limited Selection Leyda Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($15)

People who love New Zealand Sauvignon will take to this cool-climate Chilean white immediately. (Those who don’t, well, be aware that it isn’t lacking in new-mown grass and green pepper notes.) It’s distinctive, and the tangy finish lasts and lasts.

2022 Lapostolle Grand Selection Sauvignon Blanc ($20)

Lapostolle is one of Chile’s benchmark wineries, producing impressive wines (and a lot of them) at prices ranging from the affordable to the super-pricey. This Sauvignon is a definite bargain, full of melon and lime notes, appealing and juicy.

2023 Allan Scott Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ($20)

Love passionfruit? This is your wine: It’s tart and zippy, recalling that distinctive fruit in the best way, with a little green apple and boxwood thrown into the mix. There’s a classic New Zealand herbaceousness and plenty of bright acidity; it’d be excellent as an aperitif paired with goat cheese rolled in fresh herbs.

2022 Hanna Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($20)

Longtime Hanna winemaker Jeff Hinchliffe blends fruit from 10 different vineyards for this stainless steel–fermented and –aged Sauvignon. It’s an appealingly pure expression of Russian River Valley Sauvignon, its flavors suggesting pomelos and green apples.

$20 - $30

2023 Forrest Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ($22)

An aroma that recalls a just-cut summer lawn and tart pink grapefruit flavors makes this affordable Sauvignon a great warm weather pour. The Forrest family also makes a low-alcohol version (9.5%) under their Brigid label—worth checking out for those cutting back.

2022 Von Winning Lime Rift Sauvignon Blanc ($29)

Von Winning in Germany’s Pfalz region is a great Riesling producer, but they also make exceptional Sauvignon Blanc. It’s tingly on the palate, with a flavor that recalls pineapple oil (if there is such a thing) and a hint of herbaceousness. It made me think of a brass band on a summer day—possibly too far a metaphorical leap, but I’ll stand by it.

2022 Cantina Puiatti Sauvignon Blanc ($25)

No oak and fermentation solely with native yeasts results in a very pure expression of Sauvignon from this Friulian producer. The wine mingles melon and citrus flavors with a lightly herbal tomato leaf character; it’s finely balanced, and a steal for the price.

2023 Dog Point Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc ($25)

Year in and year out, Dog Point makes some of the Marlborough region’s best Sauvignon Blancs, and the 2023 is no exception. There’s a hint of struck match in the aroma, followed by lightly smoky, crisp citrus flavors—it recalls French Sauvignons like those of Pouilly Fumé, while at the same time remaining deeply New Zealand.

2022 Tement Kalk & Kreide Südsteiermark Sauvignon Blanc ($26)

Grapes from 55 different biodynamic vineyard parcels are blended for this perfumed, floral, Austrian Sauvignon Blanc. It’s tingly and chalky, with plenty of citrus notes and a hint of crunchy green papaya flavor (think of the classic Thai salad, minus the fiery chilies)

2023 Smith & Sheth Cru Wairau Sauvignon Blanc ($25)

Master of Wine Steve Smith gained fame as co-founder of New Zealand’s Craggy Range before moving on to start Smith & Sheth. This juicy white glides past the country’s usual peppery, grassy style to concentrate on vivid grapefruit and passionfruit flavors.

2023 Craggy Range Te Muna Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc ($26)

Martinborough Sauvignons, from New Zealand’s north island, tend to have a less pyrazine-driven character than those of the south islands’s Marlborough region. Craggy Range’s bottling mingles grapefruit and melon flavors, with a brisk, stony finish.

2021 Alice Berthier Coteaux du Giennois Vins de Loire ($24)

U.S.-based importer Mary Taylor sources excellent, affordable wines from France, among them this pear- and lime-scented Sauvignon from vigneron Alice Berthier. The vineyards lie in the little known Coteaux du Giennois appellation, just north of Sancerre.

2023 Hubert Brochard Château de Fontaine-Audon Sancerre ($30)

A single-estate wine from a 37-acre vineyard grown on flinty soils, this crisp white has an alluringly silky texture, with lively flavors recalling Ruby Red grapefruit and guava,

2022 Honig North Coast Sauvignon Blanc ($24)

The Honig family made Sauvignon Blanc their focus in 1980, when almost no one else was making it. The hitch was, that was because no one was buying Sauvignon Blanc. But they persevered, and today their Sauvignons—like this lively, citrus blossom–scented wine—are among California’s best.

2022 Domaine Francis Blanchet Pouilly Fumé Vielles Vignes ($30)

A delicate waft of wildflower honey lurks in the aroma of this old-vine Fumé. It’s a wine made in a richer style for Sancerre, full of sweet citrus and hay notes, and very hard to resist,

$30 - $40

2021 Greywacke Marlborough Wild Sauvignon ($31)

“Greywacke”refers to the type of bedrock in the vineyards that winemaker Kevin Judd farms; “wild” refers to his use of native (rather than cultivated) yeasts for fermentation. It’s a gorgeous, deeply distinctive white—flinty and smoky, with lots of creamy citrus fruit and a supple, rounded texture. If you think all New Zealand Sauvignons taste the same, this will immediately change your mind.

2022 Massican Sauvignon Blanc ($33)

Dan Petroski’s Massican wines focus on northern Italian varieties and wine styles despite being made in Napa Valley. This channels the savory, crystalline Sauvignons of Friuli through California’s climate, resulting in a tart white with flavors suggesting lemongrass and Meyer lemon.

2022 Talley Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc ($34)

Edna Valley’s Talley Vineyards made its name on excellent single-vineyard Chardonnays and Pinots, but the winery’s sole Sauvignon Blanc is a winner, too. It’s medium-bodied and pineapple-melony, with lime zest accents and enough zippy acidity to make it refreshing.

2021 Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($36)

Aging in older oak barrels allows this lemon verbena–scented Sauvignon to achieve a supple, creamy texture without taking on any oak flavors or aromas in the process. The flavors suggest Meyer lemon and mango, and linger appealingly.

2022 Domaine du Nozay Sancerre ($38)

Biodynamically grown grapes go into this floral, citrus-creamy Sancerre from vignerons Philippe and Marie-Hélène de Benoist. They’ve farmed organically since 2011 and biodynamically since 2017.

2022 Russiz Superiore Collio Sauvignon ($35)

Northern Italy makes some of the world’s most impressive Sauvignons, primarily from the hillside vineyards of Friuli. This one from vintner Marco Felluga is full of fresh citrus and lime zest, ending on a clear mineral note.

2021 Sattlerhof Gamlitz Sauvignon Blanc ($36)

This cuvée is named for the Sattler family’s hometown in Austria, where their vineyards are planted. It’s intensely aromatic, with lime blossom and delicate honey notes, and a stony finish. If you’ve never tried Austrian Sauvignon Blanc, seek it out.

$40+

2022 Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc ($45)

Spottswoode has long been a benchmark Cabernet producer in Napa Valley, but the winery’s Sauvignon Blanc has seen almost equal acclaim over the years. It offers incredible purity of flavor, mingling citrus and tree fruits, with a long, grapefruit-zesty finish.

2018 Château La Louvière Pessac-Léognan White ($50)

Château La Louvière, like most properties in the Pessac-Léognan appellation of Bordeaux, makes both red and white wines. The white, which is 100% Sauvignon Blanc, suggests lemongrass, vanilla and citrus fruits; aging in 30% new oak brings a supple richness, too.

2022 Merry Edwards Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($48)

Made in a richer, riper style, this is a Sauvignon Blanc for Chardonnay lovers, even offering a hint of vanilla-spice from aging in 18% new French oak barrels. Merry Edwards was long known for single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, but the initial 2001 vintage of this wine’s success made it a mainstay for the winery.

2022 Lail Blueprint Sauvignon Blanc ($60)

Robin Lail’s Georgia bottling is arguably the best Sauvignon Blanc in California—a stellar wine, but a very pricey one ($170). Her Blueprint has a good share of the same complexity and layers of flavor, and while it isn’t inexpensive, it’s a beautiful wine (and 10% of online sales of their Blueprint wines go to organizations fighting climate change).

2022 Domaine Vacheron Sancerre Blanc ($53)

Vacheron is one of the greatest names in Sancerre. Complex layers of citrus, green apple and melon play here, ending on a peppery note; if you want a benchmark for your Sancerre education, this wine is it.

2022 Domaine Delaporte Sancerre Chavignol ($43)

Winemaker Matthieu Delaporte’s family has been making wine since the 1600s in the town of Chavignol in Sancerre. This is their flagship wine, full of elegant, lasting flavors that recall Bosc pears spritzed with lemon.