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    Sauvignon Blanc

    Vitis vinifera L.

    A white grape from central or south-west France, New Zealand's most planted variety and a parent of Cabernet Sauvignon.

    VIVC
    № 107901
    Berry skin
    white (blanc)1
    Origin
    France1
    Synonyms in VIVC
    1001
    central lobepetiolar sinuslobes: 5cluster
    parentSavagnin
    parentunknown
    Sauvignon Blanc

    confirmed by DNA markers (VIVC)

    vinoluma engraving: schematic leaf after the description (5 lobes).

    Where Sauvignon Blanc comes from and grows

    1. Origin (VIVC)France
    2. Atlas regionNapa Valley
    3. Atlas regionBordeaux
    4. Atlas regionSancerre
    5. Atlas regionStellenbosch
    6. Atlas regionMarlborough

    Country of origin as given by VIVC. Regions are those where the atlas sources mention the variety; not a complete list of where it grows.

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    Origin

    Central France and south-west France are the two possible birthplaces of Sauvignon.2 VIVC lists Savagnin as one parent confirmed by markers; the other is unknown.1

    In 1997 DNA fingerprinting at UC Davis showed that Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc are the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon.3

    Where it grows

    In 2015 Sauvignon Blanc covered 123,000 hectares worldwide.4 It is New Zealand's most cultivated grape, on almost 20,500 hectares.4 It is also one of the white varieties of Bordeaux.5

    Other names

    Examples of synonyms recorded in VIVC: Blanc Fume, Feher Sauvignon, Blanc Doux, Feigentraube, Fie.1

    Around the world

    In 2023 it covered 144,031 hectares of bearing vineyards worldwide, ranking 9 of 1497 varieties in the database.6

    The largest area is in France: 33,953 ha (24% of the world total), across 43 countries.6

    Between 2000 and 2023 its area grew by 120%.6

    1. France33,953 ha
    2. New Zealand27,478 ha
    3. Chile14,457 ha
    4. South Africa10,028 ha
    5. Spain8,516 ha
    6. the United States7,620 ha
    7. Moldova6,909 ha
    8. Australia6,431 ha
    9. Romania5,633 ha
    10. Italy4,317 ha
    11. Russia2,832 ha
    12. Argentina1,829 ha

    Area, 2023

    65,462111,518125,159144,0312000201020162023

    Regions

    Sources

    1. VIVC passport no. 10790. Vitis International Variety Catalogue (JKI), accessed 2026-10-13. level 2 · checked 2026-10-13
    2. Sauvignon B. plantGrape (IFV / INRAE / Institut Agro), accessed 2026-10-13. level 2 · checked 2026-10-13
    3. DNA Fingerprinting Reveals Parentage of Classic Wine Grape (on Bowers & Meredith, Nature Genetics, May 1997). University of California, Davis, 1997. level 4 · checked 2026-10-13
    4. Focus OIV 2017: Distribution of the world's grapevine varieties. OIV, 2017. level 2 · checked 2026-10-13
    5. Cahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Bordeaux » (projet de modification, PNO 2023). INAO, 2023. level 1 · checked 2026-10-13
    6. Database of Regional, National and Global Winegrape Bearing Areas by Variety, 2000 to 2023. Anderson K., Nelgen S., Puga G. Wine Economics Research Centre, University of Adelaide (CC BY 4.0), 2026. level 3 · checked 2026-10-13