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

Banks is co-owner and chief creative officer of Archer Roose Wines, which has been served on JetBlue since 2019, including the label’s bubbly, sauvignon blanc, rosé, and malbec. —Meredith Lepore, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025

Crafted for everyday dinners and special gatherings alike, this sauvignon blanc is crisp, effortless, and approachable. —Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Oct. 2025

Vines, mostly cabernet sauvignon, merlot and sauvignon blanc, had previously been established by Coastal Viticulture, a name well known among homeowners with backyard vineyards throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains. —Laura Ness, Mercury News, 28 Sep. 2025

And Siren from McKinney Family Vineyards is a luscious blend of viognier, albariño, grüner veltliner and sauvignon blanc. —Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 15 Aug. 2025

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
• mountebank
• riverbank
• banc
• bank
• blank
• clank
• crank
• dank
• drank
• flank