Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a rarity in England. Few vineyards grow it, scattered from Cornwall to Norfolk, against more than 200 for Chardonnay. The ones that do make some of the freshest, most herbal whites in the country, and Greyfriars in Surrey even makes a sparkling one.
Sauvignon Blanc at a glance
- Colour & skin
- White grape
- Parent of
- Cabernet Sauvignon, crossed with Cabernet Franc
- Susceptible to
- Botrytis and powdery mildew
- Typical style
- A dry, aromatic still white, occasionally sparkling
What does Sauvignon Blanc taste like?
Crisp, dry and aromatic: gooseberry and elderflower, lime or lemon, and a green, grassy edge. England's cool summers keep the alcohol low; Polgoon's 2023 is 11%. Bacchus is its closest English cousin.
It suits goat's cheese, asparagus and spring vegetables, white fish, oysters and salads dressed with lemon or herbs. Drink it young, within a couple of years of the vintage.
Where is Sauvignon Blanc grown?
Sauvignon Blanc comes from France, from the Loire and Bordeaux, where it crossed with Cabernet Franc to give Cabernet Sauvignon. The name is usually traced to the French sauvage, meaning wild.
In England it turns up from Cornwall to Norfolk, mostly in the warmer, drier South East and East Anglia. It is a vigorous vine that is prone to mildew and botrytis, which is part of why so few growers take it on.
Does Sauvignon Blanc win awards?
Yes: Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc-blend wines have picked up 29 medals at the WineGB Awards since 2022, 1 of them gold or better.
13 of those came in 2026 alone, up from 5 the year before.
For scale: Bacchus, one of England's other well-established grapes, has picked up 437 medals over the same period, well ahead of Sauvignon Blanc.
Vineyards that grow Sauvignon Blanc
Balfour Winery
🏆 Gold, WineGB 2025Scout's Sauvignon Blanc is grown in the Crouch Valley in Essex and fermented mainly in stainless steel with a little oak for texture. The 2024 vintage won WineGB gold with 95 points, the top result in our guide.
Greyfriars Vineyard
🏆 Silver, WineGB 2026Still Sauvignon Blanc 2025, with cut grass, elderflower and a long finish of gooseberry fool in Greyfriars' own notes. At £17.50, it is the cheapest in our guide. Greyfriars also makes a sparkling Sauvignon Blanc.
Polgoon Vineyard
A 100% Sauvignon Blanc from Cornwall at just 11% alcohol, with lemon, lime and nectarine in Polgoon's notes, high acidity and a white pepper finish.
Missing Gate Vineyard
An Essex Sauvignon Blanc with the 2021, 2022 and 2023 vintages all listed, handy if you like to compare years.
Bures Valley Vineyard
The vineyard's first Sauvignon Blanc, from the 2025 vintage and vines planted in 2023, at £20. Its notes list green apple, lime and peach. Bures Valley is not open to visitors regularly at the moment, so buy it online.
Other English grape varieties
Bacchus
Bred in Germany in the 1930s and largely ignored there since, Bacchus found a second life in England, becoming the country's closest thing to a house white.
Solaris
Bred in Germany in 1975 to survive cold winters, Solaris has become a reliable cool-climate specialist grown from Cornwall to North Yorkshire and across Wales.
Chardonnay
England's most widely planted grape by far, Chardonnay underpins most English sparkling wine and is increasingly made as a serious still wine too, in a Chablis-like style.
Dornfelder
Nicknamed “the bank manager's grape” for its famously heavy yields, Dornfelder is Germany's bold, dark-skinned red, usually blended into England's cool-climate reds and rosés.
Sauvignon Blanc FAQs
Which Sauvignon Blanc is best in the UK?
For English Sauvignon Blanc, Balfour's Scout's has the top result in our guide, a WineGB gold at 95 points for the 2024. Woodchester Valley's 2025 took silver at Decanter at 91 points, and Greyfriars' Still Sauvignon Blanc 2025 is £17.50 with a WineGB silver in 2026. All three are in our guide to the best English Sauvignon Blancs.
Is Sauvignon Blanc sweet or dry?
Dry. Sweet wines such as Sauternes do use it in the blend, but English Sauvignon Blanc is usually made as a crisp, dry white with high acidity.
Are Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc the same grape?
No. Pinot Grigio is a member of the Pinot family and is usually lighter and more neutral. Sauvignon Blanc is more aromatic, with gooseberry, elderflower and cut-grass notes.
Is Bacchus similar to Sauvignon Blanc?
It is the closest English match. Both are aromatic, high-acid whites; Bacchus leans more towards elderflower and hedgerow. See our Bacchus page for more.
What food goes with Sauvignon Blanc?
Its acidity suits fresh, tangy and green flavours. Goat's cheese or feta, pasta with lemon or pesto, asparagus and courgette dishes, salads with a herby dressing and shellfish all work well. It also cuts through creamy sauces.
Where can I buy English Sauvignon Blanc?
Mostly direct from the vineyards, online or at the cellar door, because so little is made. Our guide to the best English Sauvignon Blancs links to each one.
How much does English Sauvignon Blanc cost?
Our guide's picks run from £17.50 to £30 a bottle.