White Wines I Recommend: Sancerre (Loire Valley, France)

 

 

WHITE WINES I RECOMMEND: SANCERRE

Continuing with my ongoing series on joyous and affordable white wines I strongly recommend, prompted by Larry Lubliner who issued this challenge to me…

Today’s offering is Sancerre. Note that *Sancerre* isn’t a company nor a specific brand, but rather an Appellation. It refers to a trademark-protected specific region. Other appellations include Chateauneuf du Pape, Cotes-du-Rhone, Barolo, Champagne, and many more.

All Sancerre wines originate and are produced in the Loire Valley of France (I believe this is correct–feel free to cite errors). Sancerre is primarily from the Sauvignon Blanc grape. You will instantly notice similarities to the most popular New Zealand wines, with are overwhelmingly made from Sauvignon Blanc. Similar acidity and crisp finish.

Sancerre wines do tend to be a bit snooty, which isn’t a bad thing. Critics point out they are overpriced, and they may have a point. Sancerre is priced at a premium, a sort of protected class of wines similar to what Champagne tries to do to preserve its exclusivity. Make it seem rare, but not too rare, nor difficult to find. A good bottle of Sancerre can easily cost $30-50.

Here in the USA, Sancerre is not widely popular. This tends to be a more sophisticated wine for those who demand a bit more elegance and complexity. Those might be flowery terms, but there is a distinctive step up in class from a New Zealand Oyster Bay or Kim Crawford to the Sancerre, though the grapes and process is close to identical (I know real wine snobs won’t like what I just wrote).

I’ve sampled every Sancerre available here, over several years. I can’t afford Sancerre as my “daily” drinker, but rather reserve it for more special occasions. Sancerre is hard to find for less than $20 a bottle. When I do find something less than that, I grab it. Trader Joe’s just put out this little lovely, costing $16.95. That’s the upper edge of my price point on recommending affordable wines, but it does merit a purchase at that price. Remember, Sancerre is a somewhat superior class of wine and since it’s almost always above the $20 mark, this particular bottle (La Vauvise) is a relative bargain. Full name: Domaine de la Vauvise Les Trois Terroirs Sancerre

Sancerre is a *must inclusion* in any staple of broad white wine recommendations. I particularly recommend it for warm-weather special occasions and for those who may not be regular wine drinkers. Sancerre is a glorious choice sure to please almost everyone.

— ND