Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Sauvignon Blanc

Analysing hundreds of thousands of recipes uncovers Sauvignon Blanc's optimal flavour pairings.

Sauvignon Blanc immediately conjures the embrace of grass and the kiss of grapefruit, but beneath its sour surface lies a nuanced symphony of subtle flavour notes: passion fruit, flint, and even hints of tomato, contributing remarkable depth. And the gastronomic enchantment begins when we seek out pairings that allow these notes to truly sing, to harmonise in unexpected and delightful ways.

To map these harmonies, we analysed thousands of ingredients, breaking each one down across 150 flavour dimensions, identifying which notes complement and contrast. Our exploration reveals, for instance, how the pure, salty sodium chloride in salt can ground Sauvignon Blanc, and how oyster's saline notes forge a beautiful synergy with its fresh aroma.

An ingredient's flavour stems from its core characteristics, such as vegetal, acidic, or floral, combined with layers of subtle flavour notes (outer bars). For a balanced dish, pair ingredients with a variety of core flavours, and choose complementary aroma notes for harmony.

The Flavour Code

To understand exactly which flavours harmonise, we compiled a database of over 50,000 ingredient pairings commonly used in cooking. We then analysed these pairings, identifying the specific flavour notes that frequently appear together.

The Flavours That Harmonise With Grassy Notes

Our analysis shows that the flavour of grass is strongly associated with the flavour of brine. This suggests we should look for ingredients with a briney flavour, such as oyster, when pairing with the grassy accents of Sauvignon Blanc.

The recipes below provide inspiration for pairing Sauvignon Blanc with oyster.

Harmonious Flavours Of Sauvignon Blanc

Just as our analysis highlighted that grass and briney notes combine harmoniously, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the flavour notes present in Sauvignon Blanc. For instance, the passionfruity accents of Sauvignon Blanc are strongly associated with pencil-lead and lemony flavours.

The aromas associated with the various accents of Sauvignon Blanc can be seen highlighted in the pink bars below.

Matching Flavour Profiles

The flavour profile of salt offers many of the notes complementary to Sauvignon Blanc, including saline and glutamic aroma accents. Because the flavour profile of salt has many of the of the features that are complementary to Sauvignon Blanc, they are likely to pair very well together.

The chart above shows the unique profile of salt across 150 dimensions of flavour, while the recipes below offer inspiration for bringing these flavours together with Sauvignon Blanc.

Recipes That Pair Sauvignon Blanc With Salt

Linked Flavour Notes

Looking at the aroma accents that are most strongly associated with the various flavours of Sauvignon Blanc, we can identify other ingredients that are likely to pair well.

The left side of the chart above highlights the aroma notes of Sauvignon Blanc, along with the complementary aromas associated with each note. While the right side shows some of the ingredients that share many of the notes complementary to Sauvignon Blanc.

Which Cheese Go With Sauvignon Blanc?

Choose cheese that awaken its greenness or awaken its fresh aroma. Pecorino Romano and feta offer vibrant, clean counterpoints, their verdant freshness lifting the palate. Parmesan add a gentle, oniony brightness, while fontina introduces a sophisticated, anise-tinged elegance.

Alternatively, embrace cheese that harmonise with Sauvignon Blanc's greenness. The addition of ricotta salata, with its subtle saline notes, can complement the grass beautifully, while gruyère lends a salty character.

How Flavonomics Works

We've pioneered a unique, data-driven approach to decode the intricate art of flavour pairing. Our goal is to move beyond intuition and uncover the science of why certain ingredients harmonise beautifully. This rigorous methodology allows us to provide you with insightful and reliable pairing recommendations.

Our analysis begins with over 50,000 carefully selected recipes from acclaimed chefs like Galton Blackiston, Marcello Tully, and Pierre Lambinon. This premium dataset ensures our model distils genuine culinary excellence and creativity.

Each ingredient from these recipes is deconstructed across 150 distinct flavour dimensions, creating a unique numerical "flavour fingerprint." This quantification allows us to apply advanced analytical methods to identify complex patterns between flavour notes.

We identify popular ingredient combinations that frequently appear in our recipe database. Regression analysis is then performed on these pairings to statistically validate and pinpoint truly harmonious flavours.

These insights drive our predictive model, which allows us to take any ingredient (e.g., Sauvignon Blanc), analyse its detailed flavour profile, and accurately reveal its complementary flavours and perfect ingredient partners.