Sancerre has some of the most enviable white wine terroir in all of France. Sancerre’s Surprising History of Red Wine Add in a combination of rolling and steeper hills, varied expositions, and devoted growers and winemakers, and you have a recipe for great wine. Sancerre also has the kinds of soils that make truly great wines possible, with a mix of limestones, flints, clays and gravels giving variety and character to the wines.

This climate allows grapes to ripen with fully developed, complex flavors, while also preserving the acidity necessary to keep the wines feeling fresh and food friendly. Centered on the village of Sancerre in the Loire Valley’s Central Vineyards, the region enjoys a continental climate, not unlike Burgundy (Sancerre is actually closer to Burgundy than it is to most of the Loire’s other famous regions). Much of Sancerre’s vinous consistency owes to the Sancerre region’s ideal climatic conditions. And California has its history “Fume Blanc” and other SB stars.īut there’s more to Sancerre than just a popular grape. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is, of course, an enormous wine phenomenon. Naturally crisp, with citrus overtones, Sauvignon Blanc overtook Chardonnay as the “glass of choice” among many casual wine drinkers years ago. Some of Sancerre’s popularity is down to the popularity of its grape, Sauvignon Blanc. As such, it's become one of wine's greatest hits, a wine with nearly unparalleled brand recognition and customer devotion. “A glass of Sancerre, please” is one of the safest asks you can make in a wine bar or restaurant. Virtually any Sancerre you find in America will be of decent quality, with a lovely freshness and pretty, delineated fruit. What’s more, those white Sancerre are dependably good. Over the last several decades, the name Sancerre has become synonymous with crisp, bone-dry white wine with lovely aromatics and mouth-watering flavors of citrus and other fruits. So, although a Sancerre wine must come from the Sancerre region, it may not come from the village of Sancerre.įirst and foremost, Sancerre is popular because it tastes great! But the appellation covers vineyards planted in 14 surrounding communities. The Sancerre appellation is named after the village of the same name. Sancerre: a Wine, a Village and an Appellation The next three posts will give you all the details you need to really begin to appreciate the finer points of this famous, and yet underrated wine. In this post we’ll give you the basic lay of the land in Sancerre to help you better appreciate your next glass or bottle of the wine. The Sancerre region makes many truly great wines of terroir that every wine-lover will be richly rewarded for getting to know, including red wines and rosés made from Pinot Noir. A white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes grown in the Sancerre Appellation of France’s Loire Valley, Sancerre Blanc ( as it is known in French) is made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes, and has become a favorite around the world as one of the most dependably tasty, crisp, aromatic white wines - and one that is reasonably priced, too.ĭelicious on its own, and great with a variety of foods, it’s no wonder Sancerre is world famous!īut Sancerre is much more than just a dependable, affordable white wine. White Sancerre is by far the most famous. Sancerre comes in red, white and rose, and all three colors of Sancerre are delicious and fascinating and worth getting to know. Sancerre is one of France's great wines and this guide will give you all the details on what makes it so good.

Sancerre wine grape