Should Sauvignon Blanc Be Chilled? (Full Guide)

Grown all over the world and loved for its wonderful range of aromas and searing acidity, Sauvignon Blanc has fast become a household name.

In this post, we will tell you everything you need to know about ‘should Sauvignon Blanc be chilled’. We’ll also cover Sauvignon Blanc best serving temperature, storage temperature and how long you should store Sauvignon Blanc.

Listen to this post here:

Should Sauvignon Blanc Be Chilled?

Yes, Sauvignon Blanc should be chilled. Sauvignon Blanc should be served chilled between 6 - 8°C (43°F - 46°F) and stored cooler than room temperature at 11 - 15°C (51°F - 59°F).

To help get the most out of your glass of white wine, let’s take a look at the best temperatures and conditions to serve and store Sauvignon Blanc.

What is the Best Temperature to Serve Sauvignon Blanc

The best temperature to serve Sauvignon Blanc is between 6-8°C (42-47°F)

Sauvignon Blanc is a white wine known for its acidity and dryness, so it tastes best when served chilled.

Although it is important not to serve it too cold or too warm.

If you serve Sauvignon Blanc too cold you may lose out on all of its wonderful flavours.

If you serve Sauvignon Blanc too warm the alcohol of the wine becomes more apparent and may taste unpleasant.

Can you put Sauvignon Blanc in the fridge?

Yes, like all white wines that should be chilled before serving, Sauvignon Blanc can reach the required serving temperature by being placed in a refrigerator. This could either be your domestic fridge, or a specialised wine fridge.

Once chilled, to ensure your Sauvignon Blanc remains at the ideal serving temperature, it's a good idea to use a wine cooler. You can buy wine coolers with Expert Wine Storage online here.

3 Popular Styles of Sauvignon Blanc and Their Ideal Serving Temperature

• Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc: This zingy, often unoaked style, is fresh and fruity, so chill it down properly to get the most out of it. (6-8°C or 42-47°F)

• Bordeaux-style Sauvignon Blanc: This oaked style of Sauvignon Blanc is often blended with Semillon and can be chilled ever so slightly less (7-8°C or 44-47°F)

• New World Sauvignon Blanc: Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is perhaps the best example of this style and with lots of passionfruit and gooseberry aromas can be chilled all the way down. (6-8°C or 42-47°F)

Storage Temperature for Sauvignon Blanc

To ensure that no harm comes to your wine before you have a chance to drink it, Sauvignon Blanc is best stored in a wine cellar, wine refrigerator or wine cabinet fridge. 

Consistency in temperature is key when it comes to storing Sauvignon Blanc.

It is best to avoid extremes or sudden changes of temperature and to avoid rooms with poor levels of humidity.

The ideal temperature to store Sauvignon Blanc is between 11°C and 15℃ (51–59°F).

If your Sauvignon Blanc has a cork then ideally it should always be stored on its side, so as not to dehydrate the closure and risk corking.

It is also important to keep the bottles away from direct sunlight and any domestic appliances prone to vibrations (washing machines, for example.)

Should You Put Sauvignon Blanc In The Fridge?

Yes, you can put Sauvignon Blanc in the fridge and it is the preferred way of ensuring your bottle reaches an ideal serving temperature.

Domestic refrigerators work well here but if you want to make sure that you are consistently serving your Sauvignon Blanc at the best temperature a specialised wine refrigerator is a good investment.

Not only will the temperature of the wine fridge keep your Sauvignon Blanc chilled, but it will also store it in consistent conditions with limited light and a good humidity that won’t damage the bottle.

Visit Expert Wine Storage to discuss investing in a new wine fridge.

Is Sauvignon Blanc better served cold or at room temperature?

Should Sauvignon Blanc be served cold or at room temperature is a good question to ask if you want to get the ideal serving temperature for your bottle.

As a rule, Sauvignon Blanc is best served cold. The best temperature to serve Sauvignon Blanc is between 6-8°C (42-47°F).

If you serve your Sauvignon Blanc at room temperature the balance of the wine won’t taste as it should. The alcohol will become more apparent, the aromas masked and the acidity will become astringent.

Sauvignon Blanc should be placed in the fridge before serving so it can be poured chilled.

How Long Should You Chill Sauvignon Blanc?

The length of time you should chill your Sauvignon Blanc depends on what type of fridge you are using.

If you have a domestic, household fridge the drier conditions may damage the corks over time, so it’s best to store your Sauvignon Blanc elsewhere ( a wine cellar or a specialised wine rack for example) and place it in the fridge a few hours before serving to reach the required temperature.

Sauvignon Blanc can be chilled in a specialist wine fridge for a longer period of time as the conditions will have been designed to look after the wine properly.

5 Tips on Serving Sauvignon Blanc

Here are our five tips to get the best tasting experience with Sauvignon Blanc Wines:

• Store Sauvignon Blanc between 11°C and 15℃ (51–59°F)

• To ensure the cork doesn’t dry out, store your Sauvignon Blanc on its side

• The best serving temperature for Sauvignon Blanc is 45–49°F or 6-9°C

• When serving, use a wine cooler to help maintain your Sauvignon Blanc’s temperature

• If your Sauvignon Blanc gets too cold, take it out of the fridge 5 minutes before serving to help it warm up a little bit

Summary of Chilling Sauvignon Blanc From Expert Wine Storage 

We hope you enjoyed learning all about chilling Sauvignon Blanc wine.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments, or email us at info@expertwinestorage.co.uk

If you want to learn more about other types, consider our related blog posts:

You can also shop new wine coolers online at Expertwinestorage.co.uk.

You can read our other guides about Sauvignon Blanc here:

• How Many Calories In Sauvignon Blanc

You can browse more posts on wine types here.