Native to France yet practically synonymous with New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most popular white wines in the world, and for good reason. The versatile white has incredible range depending on where it’s produced. In its home country, Sauvignon Blanc — known as Sancerre or Pouilly-Fume, if grown within those regions — tends to have an herbaceous minerality, while those hailing from New Zealand deliver tropical fruit flavors and intense acidity.
But the grape is also taking off in the U.S., where thirst for the crisp white wine is skyrocketing. In 2022, Sauvignon Blanc sales hit 16.6 million cases, making it one of the fastest-growing wines in the country. That same year, 1,744 acres of Sauvignon Blanc were planted in California, increasing the grape’s plantings by almost 50 percent.
With so much incredible Savvy B available, Wine-Searcher compiled a list of the world’s most popular bottles based on user’s search frequency data. To no surprise, the vast majority of the world’s most popular Sauvignon Blancs are produced in France and New Zealand, with only one American bottle cracking the top 10.
Curious to see if your favorite Sauvignon Blanc is among the world’s most popular? Keep reading to discover the most searched-for Sauvignon Blancs on the Wine-Searcher platform.
Not only is Francois Cotat Sancerre Les Monts Damnes one of the world’s most popular Sauvignon Blancs, but it’s also one of the most expensive Sancerres. The 13-percent ABV wine is floral and weighted, delivering ripe green melon and spiced fruit notes on the palate. Average Score: 92, Average Price: $81.
Produced in Pouilly-Fume in the Loire Valley, Baron de Ladoucette’s Pouilly-Fume is characterized by crisp apple and baking spice aromas before an intensely mineral palate takes over. Average Score: 91, Average Price: $87.
Formerly named Blanc Fume de Pouilly, this wine hails from one of the most famous producers in the region, though had to be renamed after the producer departed from the distinctions of the AOC. The Sauvignon Blanc provides robust white grapefruit, tropical fruit, and green herb flavors with tangy acidity. Average Score: 90, Average Price: $98.
Screaming Eagle Sauvignon Blanc isn’t just the only American wine on this list — it’s also the only bottle worth thousands. Produced in Napa Valley, the wine is the most expensive wine from the region and offers delicate floral, lemon, and white peach flavors. Average Score: 93, Average Price: $3,740.
Much more affordable than France’s Sauvignon Blancs are those produced in Marlborough, New Zealand. At $23, Greywacke’s 13-percent ABV Sauvignon Blanc opens with aromas of grapefruit, passionfruit, and slight smoke before similar notes follow on the palate, accompanied by a hint of saline. Average Score: 91, Average Price: $23.
Edmond Vatan Sancerre Clos la Neore is the most expensive wine produced in the Sancerre region. Intensely aromatic, the wine is produced in very small batches and delivers notes of chamomile tea, honey, and lemon. Average Score: 93, Average Price: $420.
Another wine produced by this cult-followed producer is Pur Sang, a 12 to 13.5-percent ABV Sauvignon Blanc. The nose begins with notes of ripe gooseberry and underlying oak before candied grapefruit, white apple, and salty minerality wash over the palate. Average Score: 93, Average Price: $143.
Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc is not just one of the three most popular Sauvignon Blancs in the world, but it’s also one of the most popular wines produced in all of New Zealand. The LVMH-owned wine has aromas of floral bouquets, kaffir lime, and grapefruit and a light-bodied, acidic palate. Average Score: 90, Average Price: $33.
Produced by prized Bordeaux producer Chateau Margeaux, Pavillon Blanc de Chateau Margeaux is the most expensive Sauvignon Blanc from its region. The crisp white wine spends six to eight months aging in oak and conveys notes of lawn grass, vanilla, tangerine skin, and ripe pear. Average Score: 94, Average Price: $325.
Silex is the most popular of the three wines from the Didier Daguaneau domaine, all of which are produced by his son Louis-Benjamin. Highlighting dried herb, lemon balm, and tropical fruit flavors, the wine also delivers delicate marzipan and floral notes on a refreshingly acidic palate. Average Score: 93, Average Price: $219.
