The Story and Meaning Behind Rosalía's 'Sauvignon Blanc': Lyrics Translated to English

Rosalía’s LUX era still has many surprises for us. The artist announced that she will release the music video for one of the most iconic songs from her latest album, Sauvignon Blanc, on February 11.

Following the announcement—which came a day after Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance, whom she congratulated—many fans are wondering about the true meaning of this song, and we’ll break it down here.

Previously, Rosalía has already released music videos for other songs from LUX, such as Berghain (the project’s first global teaser) and later La Perla, the ultimate hit from the album.

The Meaning Behind Rosalía's 'Sauvignon Blanc'

In Sauvignon Blanc, Rosalía sings about letting go of material possessions, ornaments, wealth, and ostentation.

“Mi luz, la prenderé, con el Rolls Royce, que quemaré… Sé que mi paz yo me ganaré cuando no quede na’, nada que perder,”(“My light, I will turn it on, with the Rolls Royce, that I will burn… I know I will earn my peace when there’s nothing left, nothing to lose”), she sings.

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The song resonates strongly with an idea Rosalía has expressed in interviews: that LUX is a tribute and a project inspired by studying several saints and canonical female figures. Sauvignon Blanc is, for example, a reference to Saint Teresa of Jesus.

“The main inspiration is feminine mystique, so then for sure there’s more feminine energy. And also the idea of ser un receptáculo—being a vessel,” the artist explained in an interview with The New York Times.

In the same interview, Rosalía explains the meaning of Sauvignon Blanc.

“If I sing in Spanish in Sauvignon Blanc, it’s because there’s inspiration from Saint Teresa of Jesus. And the fact that she decided to strip herself of all material things. Apparently, she came from money, but she chose to give up everything material and seek another kind of life, another path.”

What is Sauvignon Blanc?

Sauvignon Blanc is a white grape variety originally from France, especially from the Loire Valley and Bordeaux, used to produce white wines known for their freshness, high acidity, and intense aromas. It’s also the wine Rosalía drinks in the song.

“Sauvignon Blanc, a tu lado, el futuro, será dorado y ya no tengo miedo, del pasado, está en el fondo de mi Sauvignon Blanc” (“Sauvignon Blanc, by your side, the future will be golden and I’m no longer afraid of the past; it’s at the bottom of my Sauvignon Blanc”), Rosalia sings here.

Here, the artist suggests that she only needs a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and the person she loves to feel complete, away from ostentation. The wine may not be mystical or holy, but perhaps that contrast adds the spark present throughout LUX.

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Who is Saint Teresa of Jesus, the saint who inspired Sauvignon Blanc?

Saint Teresa of Jesus, also known as Teresa of Ávila, was a 16th-century Spanish nun and mystic who led a reform within the Carmelite order to return to a stricter, prayer-focused religious life.

Rosalía uses her as a symbol of letting go of material things in Sauvignon Blanc. After a deep spiritual experience, Saint Teresa felt many convents had become too comfortable and strayed from their original purpose. She promoted practices like "voluntary poverty", simple living, and isolation from the world to devote herself "to contemplation and the pursuit of God."

Saint Teresa renounced material possessions and founded new convents that lived without wealth or fixed income, relying solely on charity, because she believed that detachment from material goods helped achieve humility, spiritual freedom, and a closer connection to the divine.

The song takes this idea in another direction, drawing a parallel between reaching fulfillment in love and letting go of earthly and material attachments. In an era defined by productivity and ostentation, it delivers a thought-provoking message worth reflecting on.

Rosalía's Sauvignon Blanc Lyrics in English

My light

I will turn it on

With the Rolls-Royce

That I will burn

I know my peace

I will earn

When there’s nothing left

Nothing to lose

I no longer want pearls or caviar

Your love will be my capital

And what does it matter if I have you

I don’t need anything else

Sauvignon Blanc

By your side

My future

Will be golden

I’m no longer afraid

Of the past

It’s at the bottom

Of my glass of

Sauvignon Blanc

Of my glass of

Sauvignon Blanc

I will listen

To my God

My Jimmy Choos

I will throw them away

I will let my porcelain fall

And give away my upright piano

I’m fine if you’re here

If you’re here today

I will drink

Sauvignon Blanc

By your side

My future

Will be golden

I’m no longer afraid

Of the past

It sank deep

In my Sauvignon Blanc

By your side

I know well

That my future

Will be golden