Sauvignon Blanc: Argentina's high-altitude refresher
The country's most thirst-quenching white — zesty, herbal and bright, grown where altitude stands in for a cool climate.
Sauvignon Blanc is the world's great thirst-quencher — zesty, herbal, bracingly fresh, the white you reach for when you want a jolt of energy in the glass. The problem for a warm country like Argentina is that this is a cool-climate grape: too much heat and it loses the very nervy freshness that makes it Sauvignon Blanc. Argentina's answer is the same brilliant trick it uses for everything else — go up. In the cold, high vineyards of the Uco Valley, altitude stands in for a cool climate, and the result is a bright, mineral, distinctly Argentine take on a global favorite.
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01Sauvignon in Argentina
A global classic, briefly Sauvignon Blanc hails from France Bordeaux and the Loire Valley and conquered the world from there,…
Leer el capítulo 1 →The altitude effect
The home of Argentine Sauvignon Blanc is the Uco Valley in Mendoza, especially the high Tupungato district, with vineyards between roughly…
Leer el capítulo 2 →Pairings
This is the ultimate aperitif and warm-weather white, and a brilliant food partner for fresh, green and tangy flavors.
Leer el capítulo 3 →Try these
Expect a pale, bright wine that smells alive: grapefruit and lime, green apple and fresh-cut grass, with herbal notes think Thai basil,…
Leer el capítulo 4 →Respuestas rápidas
Is Argentine Sauvignon Blanc good?
Yes — it is one of Argentina's most refreshing whites, increasingly well made in the high-altitude Uco Valley. There it gains bright acidity and a mineral edge, sitting stylistically between the grassy Loire style and the tropical New Zealand style.
Where is Sauvignon Blanc grown in Argentina?
Mainly in the high Uco Valley of Mendoza, especially the Tupungato district, with vineyards roughly between 900 and 1,500 meters. The altitude and cold nights preserve the acidity and aromatics that a cool-climate grape like Sauvignon Blanc needs.
What does Argentine Sauvignon Blanc taste like?
Expect grapefruit, lime, green apple and fresh-cut grass, with herbal notes and sometimes tropical fruit like passionfruit. It is light-bodied, high in acidity, crisp and dry, usually unoaked, and the best high-altitude examples have a flinty, mineral character.
How is it different from Chardonnay or Torrontés?
Sauvignon Blanc is zestier and more herbal, made to drink young and fresh. Chardonnay is fuller and more age-worthy, while Torrontés is intensely floral and aromatic. Sauvignon Blanc is the lightest, crispest and most immediately refreshing of the three.
What food pairs with Sauvignon Blanc?
Goat's cheese is the classic match. It also shines with fresh salads, ceviche and raw fish, oysters and shellfish, grilled white fish, and herb-driven or mildly spiced dishes. Serve it well-chilled but not ice-cold.