sauvignon blanc

noun

sau·​vi·​gnon blanc ˌsō-vēn-ˈyän-ˈbläŋk  ˌsō-vēn-ˈyōⁿ-ˈbläⁿ 

: a medium-bodied white wine that is characterized by tart citrus flavors and that is notably produced in Bordeaux, the Loire valley, California, and South Africa

also : the grape itself

Examples of sauvignon blanc in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Red wine thrillers check many of the same boxes as their sauvignon blanc counterparts. — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2026

He was set to pick sauvignon blanc and friuilano (an Italian white grape that originated in the Friuli), on July 31 from the Imperial Vineyard next to the Cal Fire Helitac site on the Lexington Reservoir. — Laura Ness, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026

Across Alto Adige, Trentino and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, sauvignon blanc finds a delicious middle ground. — Devin Parr, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

The mini bar comes stocked with a few upscale offerings—Champagne, New Zealand sauvignon blanc, fresh juices, coconut water, and a few snacks. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, literally "white sauvignon"; sauvignon, savignien, going back to Middle French servagnin, sarvinien, of obscure origin — more at blank entry 1

Note: More variants are recorded at the entry for sauvignon in Trésor de la langue française and in Französisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, vol. 22, p. 65.

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sauvignon blanc

• antitank
• interbank
• riverbank
• banc
• bank
• blank
• clank
• crank
• dank
• drank
• flank
• franc