Best Sauvignon Blanc under $20

It’s your passion for wine, but you want something light; a dry wine with citrus, wild herbs, or tropical fruit notes, and you want it to be a white wine since a darker wine would interfere with the view of the shoreline while idling in your sailboat on a glistening afternoon. Fortunately, you’ve got Sauvignon Blanc on your table.

A chameleon grape, Sauvignon Blanc is known for its brightness, freshness, crispness, and fruitiness, often consumed as a young wine. However, due to its versatility, it is available in sweet, dessert-style wines too. They are usually aged in oak barrels and textured by stirring the yeast lees. Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc are famous for their ability to produce ‘classical dry white styles’ and rich, medium-bodied cuvées and, again, dessert wine styles. 

Best Sauvignon Blanc under $20

As there are so many new Sauvignon Blancs out there worldwide, the only way to sort through them all and try your best is to let me handle that for you. There is a Sauvignon Blanc for every palate, whether you like tropical fruit notes or savory minerality. VinePair compiled a list of the best Sauvignon Blancs to drink right now to help you get started. Below you will find the best-curated list for the best sauvignon blanc under $20.

1. Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blancs

(4 / 5)

Price: $14.99

Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc is a classic example of this grape. It is a refreshing wine but also has fine details. It is succulent, bright, long, and very pleasant to drink. Even though it’s best drunk with a good chill, seafood, salad, or somewhere in the sun, the wine has enough generosity and texture to stand up to a roast chicken with trimmings or simply a well-chilled glass. The Brancott sauvignon blanc can be aged gracefully in the cellar, but it should be paired with shellfish, sharp cheeses, and appetizers for best results.

2. Mud House Sauvignon Blanc

(4 / 5)

Price : $12.99

This premium but classic take on a variety is brought to the New Zealand market by Mud House, one of the country’s most prestigious and high-profile winemakers. Many Sauvignon Blanc producers deliver simple, fresh, fruity wines, but this wine reaches a higher level, more intense, and more concentrated, with tropical fruits, green herbs, and citrus notes. With a mouthwatering, moreish finish, it’s racy, chalky in texture, intense, and pierces the palate. The wine pairs well with sashimi, grilled fish, or barbecued octopus. It’s an incredible expression that can stand on its own as well as with other fine wines.

3. Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc

(4.2 / 5)

Price: $17.99

Whitehaven wine is far above standard Sauvignon Blancs in a microclimate on the Marlborough fringe. It is a wine of great intensity with passionfruit, green herbs, stone fruits, creamed cashews, nougats, and struck match characters set against flint and struck match notes. This is an outstanding wine that is best paired with patés and hard cheeses.

4. Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc

(4 / 5)

Price:$15.99

There are classic but higher-end Marlborough wineries at this winery. Passionfruit, citrus, green apple, and a minerally note of wet steel/wet slate are just some of the classic regional characters. There are a lot of flavors, a sense of freshness, and everything dialed up to the next level associated with exceptional offerings from the region. Intense, quite powerful, lots of flavors, great freshness. To elevate a dining experience, this Kim Crawford with prawns, barramundi, or squid chargrilled and a bucket of prawns.

5. Henry Bourgeois Sauvignon Blanc

(3.8 / 5)

Price: $18.99

Henry Bourgeois Sauvignon Blanc finishes with a sweet-sour passionfruit acidity that keeps things fresh and clean, featuring tropical fruits, green herbs, sea spray, and grassy elements. In addition to being aromatic, clean, and developing a little extra texture and flavor, this one can be enjoyed alongside barbecues and summer picnics while legs are dangling in the pool.

6. Starborough Sauvignon Blanc

(3.9 / 5)

Price: $11.99

The Starborough Sauvignon Blanc delivers a great expression of varietal character and delivers refreshing qualities. With flavors similar to pear, gooseberry, fresh-cut grass, and pepper, it smells like fruit and has the same smell. The wine seems quite fruity to sip on but finishes with a pleasant dryness and a mineral quality. With a very high drinkability, a lot is going on than one would expect. You can serve this beer cold during parties or accompany a casual pasta lunch.

What to Look For in a Sauvignon Blanc?

1. Region

Wines made from Sauvignon Blanc can come from all over the world. The Henry or Kiwi brands tend to be lighter in style and more savory, while the California and New Zealand lines tend to be full-bodied. 

2. Food Pairing

Can sauvignon blanc be paired with anything? From pad thai to more decadent cheese dishes, sauvignon blanc pairs well with most things. At the beginning of the meal, serve chilled bottles of wine with charcuterie or other appetizers. 

FAQs

1. What are the critical qualities of sauvignon blanc?

This wine is praised as a food-friendly, very quenching wine. It would go well with just about anything. There is significant regional variation in sauvignon blanc types, but all Sauvignon Blancs have high acidity, intense aromas, and flavors of white peach, honeydew melon, and subtle herb. Sauvignon blanc comes in various profiles, from lean and grassy to vibrant and full-bodied.

2. What’s the most popular region for Sauvignon Blanc?

Sauvignon blanc can be grown anywhere in the world and is highly versatile. The Friuli and Trentino-Alto Adige regions in northern Italy produce excellent grape versions with crisp stone fruit and subtle savory characteristics. There are several famous Sauvignon Blancs in the Loire Valley in France, including Sancerre, Pouilly-Fume, Cheverny, and Touraine. Choose from a variety of dry, refreshing, grassy, and citrus-driven wines here, with a high level of acidity. The most planted grape variety in New Zealand is sauvignon blanc. California, Chile, South Africa, and Australia are some regions outside of these major regions that produce beautiful bottles.

3. At what temp should it be stored?

Bordeaux Blancs and other serious whites should be served at 48 degrees F, as should sauvignon blanc. Your sauvignon blanc should be aged at a consistent temperature in a dark, cool area. 

4. What temperature should it be served?

To maintain the racy acidity, serve Sauvignon Blanc at a temperature between 45 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Do try and enjoy all these wines. Also, do check this list of the best Pinot Gris under $20.