Chardonnay’s longtime reign as California’s sovereign of white wine is in jeopardy. Sauvignon Blanc has actually emerged as one of the fastest growing wine varietals in the U.S., recommending that wine drinkers’ preferences are moving far from abundant, medium-bodied and oaky whites to crisp, light and zestier offerings.In 2022, Sauvignon
Blanc is the only non-sparkling red wine varietal that experienced favorable growth at 1.5%, according to Silicon Valley Bank’s 2023 State of the U.S. White wine Market report, an annual analysis of the market’s growth and difficulties based on a winery survey and data. By contrast, 7 white wine varietals experienced favorable growth in 2020; Sauvignon Blanc grew 9.5%that year. In California, the fresh and citrusy Bordeaux grape range has actually
long hidden in the shadow of Chardonnay, which owns the biggest share– approximately 15%– of the U.S. market for white wines sold to sellers, according to supplier information analyst SipSource. At 6%market share, Sauvignon Blanc is unlikely to catch up with Chardonnay anytime quickly, however California wineries are already struggling to keep pace with the grape’s growing need. And rising fruit costs and short supply are compounding the problem. Healdsburg’s Smith Story Red wine Cellars only produced 600 cases of Sauvignon Blanc in 2022, so the winery is
thoroughly dividing the stock in between white wine club members, the tasting space, retail and restaurants. Co-owner Alison Smith-Story stated she’s even thinking about a pre-sale of the wine to assist plan ahead for wholesale and newsletter orders, something Smith Story has actually never done prior to.”It’s most likely our primary wine that individuals inquire about when walking in the door, “she said. “In 2015 we needed to decline wholesale orders because we didn’t have enough. It was the very first time in my profession. “In the last year, Stephanie Honig, co-owner of Napa Valley’s Honig Vineyards & Winery, stated Sauvignon Blanc was so popular, dining establishments and shops were sold out for 4 months. While the winery typically releases the white wine in March or & April, the 2022 vintage went directly to suppliers after bottling in November to re-up supply. Smith Story White Wines in Healdsburg is thinking about a pre-sale of its 2022 Sauvignon Blanc for
the first time ever in an effort to plan for wholesale and subscriber list orders. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle It’s a plain contrast to when the winery initially began making Sauvignon Blanc in the 1980s–” before anybody might sell it,”stated Honig. Her spouse, Michael Honig,”needed to encourage individuals why they ought to have Sauvignon Blanc on the white wine list.”Even renowned Napa Valley leader Robert Mondavi had a hard time moving Sauvignon Blanc in the 1960s, a time of especially low public perception of the white wine. His option: rebrand it. Mondavi called it Fumé Blanc, a play on the timeless and well-respected Pouilly-Fumé, a style of Sauvignon Blanc produced in France’s Loire Valley. Mondavi Sauvignon Blancs are still labeled Fumé Blanc, and reserve styles sell for $95 and above. California’s true Sauvignon Blanc transformation took place over the last twenty years alongside the” Anything however Chardonnay”motion, which came out of a deluge of Chardonnay production. Many wineries began to try out Sauvignon Blanc
and release costlier, high-end bottlings that gave the grape some much-needed influence amongst severe white wine drinkers. Cult Cabernet brand name Yelling Eagle makes a small amount, for example, which sells for north of $1,000.”Sauvignon Blanc has that kind of racy character and yet actually excellent acidity and beautiful balance, “said Spottswoode Winery owner Beth Novak Milliken. Spottswoode was among the first Napa estates to produce the white wine in 1984.”It sets magnificently with food, and if well made, they
‘re compelling, intricate red wines.”Influenced by timeless French designs, like Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre, these advanced Sauvignon Blancs are frequently partly fermented and aged in oak barrels or concrete– as opposed to stainless-steel– for added roundness and complexity that allows the white wines to age for many years. Lots of manufacturers also follow the French
custom of blending a small amount of Sémillon into the red wine, known to add structure and mouthfeel. California wineries aren’t solely responsible for Sauvignon Blanc’s Cinderella story. New Zealand’s easy-drinking and affordably-priced Sauvignon Blancs, like Cloudy Bay, Kim Crawford and Oyster Bay, have actually played a significant role, too. According to alcohol shipment platform Drizly, Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc was the platform’s very popular white wine
in 2022. Robert Mondavi Winery’s Fume Blanc pioneered the California pattern of high-end, French-inspired Sauvignon Blanc in the 1960s. James Tensuan/Special to The Chronicle The red wine’s newfound popularity has even earned it a nickname– Sauvy B– which
has captured on with younger drinkers. The first time Smith-Story heard a 20-something ask for Sauvy B at the tasting space, she said she didn’t understand
what they were talking about. But she has found that Generation Z customers seem
“worn out”by the oaky profile of many Chardonnays.”They’re searching for and taking pleasure in a brighter, lighter style of red wine,”she stated. Sauvignon Blanc might help open the capacity of younger consumers, one of the industry’s greatest modern day difficulties. But grape rates are on the rise, which might drive the price point of Sauvignon Blanc out of reach for Millennials and Generation Z. According to the 2021 California Grape Crush report, the cost of Sauvignon Blanc per
ton rose 7.8 %from 2020. John Conover, managing partner of the Gavin Newsom co-founded PlumpJack Group, estimated that Napa County Sauvignon Blanc costs have risen 20 %in the last 3 years. Another problem is volume, as wineries battle to protect Sauvignon Blanc grapes in the very first location.”It’s a hot commodity. You couldn’t discover (Sauvignon Blanc grapes),”stated Conover, despite what PlumpJack wanted to pay for them. This is not likely to alter in the future, specifically in Napa. The dominance of Cabernet Sauvignon has actually driven Napa Valley growers to remove
Sauvignon Blanc vines (and others )and replant the area’s prized grape over the past two decades; Cabernet commands higher costs for growers, while farming expenses are comparable. The California dry spell has likewise impacted yields recently, further shortening supply. Massican Winery owner Dan Petroski, who is paying as much as $4,000 a heap for Sauvignon Blanc in Napa– up from$2,800 5 years ago– said he just recently got no fruit from a vineyard that usually produces 10 loads from the two acres he’s contracted for. This combination of minimal supply and rising costs are pressing many Napa wineries to look for fruit in other areas, though it implies sacrificing the prominent “Napa Valley”stamp on the label.( A winery can only lawfully showcase an official appellation, like Napa Valley, on its label if 85% of the fruit utilized originates from that area.)Honig found fruit of comparable quality and profile in Lake County– where in 2021, the winery paid$1,200 per ton compared to$2,600 in Napa
— and now produces a Sauvignon Blanc blend of the 2 areas.” Costs skyrocketed so high, it wasn’t sustainable anymore, “stated Honig. Similarly, PlumpJack was thinking about making a Napa-Sonoma mix till the company stumbled upon a vineyard in Napa’s remote Eastern hills, acquiring the 129-acre Oso Vineyard in Pope Valley in 2015. It will offer a stable source of Sauvignon Blanc moving on, stated Conover. Wineries that do not have their own Sauvignon Blanc supply will have to fight for their share in the coming vintages. But Milliken thinks this will eventually
be much better for the classification as a whole.” Greater grape
prices implies more individuals will plant it– and plant it in much better soils due to the fact that they know they’ll get a return for it,”she said.”It’s a good idea. “Jess Lander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff author. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @jesslander