Sauvignon Blanc Color

Everyone, even people who aren’t particularly fans of wine, know a few of the popular names like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Merlot but don’t really know what color these wines should be. 

In fact, these people probably don’t even know that you can tell a lot about a wine just from its color. The color of wine hints at its intensity, acidity, age, and even grape variety. Let’s find out what this means for Sauvignon Blanc.

Have Some Sauvignon Blanc, But Not Sure About the Color?

Sauvignon Blanc is a well-known and loved crispy white wine that is usually a pale yellow. When you pick it up from the store, this is the color your wine will be. 

You may not be able to tell initially since the wine bottle may be a darker color, but this is what unaged Sauvignon Blanc is like. The bottle color may also have an effect on the actual wine color changing over time. 

So now you may have just found a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and can’t really remember when you bought it, but the color is different from what you remember seeing. Does this mean you shouldn’t drink it? Not necessarily, but it does mean something else!

 

Should Sauvignon Blanc be yellow?

Sauvignon Blanc is light-bodied and acidic, so fresh Sauvignon Blanc will be very pale yellow or even clear. 

This means it’s perfect and can be enjoyed immediately. Sauvignon blanc is made from light green-skinned grapes that were originally grown in France, so it’s no surprise that this wine is so clear and pale. 

Like all white wines, the skins of the grapes are discarded before fermentation starts, so there is no color and resulting in a transparent crispy wine. 

Other white wines with a similar pale shade are Grenache blanc, Chenin blanc, and Pinot blanc. These wines should be identical on store shelves, so you will know all these vibrant whites are good to go!

 

Is Sauvignon Blanc dark yellow?

No! Fresh Sauvignon Blanc from a store should never be dark yellow. If you notice your Sauvignon Blanc has turned dark yellow or even brown, this means your wine has aged in the bottle or oxidized. 

This can happen from a multitude of factors. Firstly, it could just happen naturally from age. If you have stored your Sauvignon Blanc away for many years, it’s only natural that the chemical makeup of your wine will change. 

As we mentioned above, the bottle color can also have an effect here. 

There is more absorbance of visible light with darker bottles than in lighter-colored bottles, which results in oxidative pigments being bleached. 

In addition, since darker bottles absorb more UV light, the wine inside the bottle is also constantly at a higher temperature which accelerates the production of oxidative pigments. 

In conclusion, if your wine is in a dark-colored bottle and has been stored in a place with lots of sunlight or heat, then it should be no surprise that it has turned dark yellow. 

 

Why is my Sauvignon Blanc orange?

There are two different answers to this question. First, if your wine initially was clear and pale yellow, as Sauvignon Blanc should be, and later turned orange, then something is wrong. 

This shouldn’t happen and something in the chemical components of the wine is malfunctioning, and this wine probably isn’t safe to consume. 

If it’s golden or dark yellow, then this hints at oxidization, so this wine is still okay to drink. However, it will be like drinking soda that’s been left open too long, so it will be flavorless and dull. But, if it’s orange or brown, then your best bet would probably be to discard it. 

 

Is there a red Sauvignon Blanc?

Until a few years ago, the answer to this question would be no. Sauvignon Blanc is a variety of white grapes that were used to exclusively make white wine.

It’s even right there in the name “blanc.” So, it’s only logical that red Sauvignon Blanc can only exist in a blend with other grape varieties. 

The New Zealand-based Yealands winery recently took the risk to create a “sauvignon blend” with a combination of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and red Kolor grapes. 

This wine can still officially be called Sauvignon Blanc since about 95% of the mix are Sauvignon Blanc grapes, but the wine’s color is dark red. So, it’s not truly a red Sauvignon Blanc wine, but it’s the best you are going to get. 

 

What about Pink Sauvignon Blanc?

Nowadays, you will find any type of wine in any color. So if you are looking hard enough, you will find a few versions of pink Sauvignon Blanc. One of the more popular bottles is from the New Zealand Aotearoa winery. 

It’s a dry, crispy rosé Sauvignon Blanc and was released recently in 2020. If you love Sauvignon Blanc and pink wines, then we would surely urge you to try this one. 

However, you shouldn’t expect the full Sauvignon Blanc flavor profile since it’s bound to be slightly altered. 

Final Thoughts on Sauvignon Blanc’s Color

As you can already tell, the color of your Sauvignon Blanc is one of its defining characteristics. You can tell whether it’s aged or oxidized from the darkness of the color. 

And, if you have a preference for reds and rosés, you can find Sauvignon Blanc in these forms as well. So, go get yourself a bottle, check the color and get to sipping!