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Glite Dictionary
Sauvignon blanc

Sauvignon blanc

3 3.7
A white grape and dry wine made from it, first from France and now grown around the world
  • noun
  • /ˌsɔːvɪˈɒn blɑːŋk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Sauvignon blanc
  • The Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc 2010 embodies the quintessential Marlborough style:
  • Sauvignon blanc wine
  • bottle of Sauvignon blanc
  • Marlborough Sauvignon blanc

Examples

  • We were just about to open a bottle of Yakima Valley Sauvignon Blanc.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • The intent of a producer's $8 Sauvignon Blanc and their $20 one is often quite different, as are their appeals and projected end users.

    Blog text (21)

  • "Babs hands me a glass of Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc."

    Fiction book (2001)

  • We recommend enjoying our 2010 Sauvignon Blanc while it is young, but the wine is capable of developing nicely over the next two years if carefully cellared.

    Blog text (27)

  • The restaurant features an excellent selection of wines, including a crisp Sauvignon blanc that pairs perfectly with seafood.

  • For warm afternoons, I love sipping a chilled glass of Sauvignon blanc to enjoy its refreshing citrus flavors.

  • At the wine tasting, the Sauvignon blanc from France stood out for its bright acidity and fruity aroma.

Synonyms

Sauvignon
vsSauvignon blanc
12 5.8

A white wine with a fresh, fruity taste often served cold

emphasizes the grape, its dry style and origin rather than flavor

How Sweet

dessert wine
1 3.7
Sauvignon blanc
  • Specialized
3 3.7

Surface Forms

Sauvignon blanc singular
Sauvignon blancs plural

Morphology

Sauvignon + blanc

The phrase combines the grape name 'Sauvignon' with 'blanc' (French for 'white'), so its sense as a white grape or white wine is directly derivable from the constituents. Naming conventions that use a variety name plus a color adjective to indicate wine type are cross-linguistically common, making this transparently interpretable by learners who know the parts.

Etymology

Sauvignon blanc comes from French words: sauvignon from a word for 'wild' and blanc meaning 'white'. Farmers used the name for a grape that grew like a wild vine, and the wine kept the name, so today Sauvignon blanc means the white grape and the dry white wine made from it.