It is an international grape of French origin, to be precise from the Bordolese area and the Loire Valley, also present in Maremma where about 65 hectares are cultivated, mostly concentrated in the municipalities of Pitigliano and Manciano.

It is also known by the synonyms Sauvignon blanc, Pellegrina, Piccabon, Bordeaux white, Spergolina.

The meaning of the term Sauvignon is almost certainly attributable to “wild plant” (wild, in French, it is written sauvage), so much so that this variety shows some affinities with Lambrusco vines, whose varietal family is characterized by the domestication of wild vines. Its introduction on the Italian territory most likely took place directly from the lower Bordeaux area, and it immediately met with considerable success, especially in the areas where it found the best conditions for cultivation.

It is a vine with an average ripening period, which prefers hilly soils, dry and rich in skeleton, and cool temperate climates, where the synthesis of the substances responsible for the typical aroma of elderberry and tomato leaf is higher.

The wines have a more or less intense straw yellow or golden color, the characteristic aromas of ripe fruit and flowers, often with evident notes of tomato leaf, elderberry, passion fruit and boxwood, the soft and velvety flavor, slightly aromatic, with warm tones, full-bodied but delicate, very fine, also suitable for a certain refinement.

The Sauvignon wines, in the vintage versions, lend themselves to combinations with soups and fish-based dishes, seafood risottos, broths and fish soups, while the more aged wines and late harvests are excellent with grilled seafood , fish baked in foil or in a salt crust, white meats and medium-ripe cheeses.