Stunning Sancerre – the town, the wine, the terroir

JanineMarsh01Janine Marsh is a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers and International Travel Writers Alliance. She specialises in writing about France and French life and is editor of thegoodlifefrance.com

 


Most of us know Sancerre as a delicious white wine, but when I visited Berry Province in the Loire Valley, I discovered that there is more to the name. I found that Sancerre is also a beautiful hill top town and a whole swathe of gorgeous land where the grapes are grown. Janine Marsh takes a sip of the good life in the Loire Valley… 

My first glimpse of the little town of Sancerre, perched up high on a green mountain and looking over the valleys and land to which it gives its name was breath-taking.

A striking medieval  town, with winding hilly streets, beautiful  ancient houses with pastel coloured shutters and roses growing over the doors, and dozens of cafes, bistrots and “caves” to taste wine in. What it also had was spectacular views over the landscape around, which is also known as Sancerre.

A trip to the vineyards and town of Sancerre is just a couple of hours drive from Paris and a great introduction to a Loire Valley trip – it’s such a pretty and friendly region of France.

Sancerre wine is a firm favourite in restaurants and wine bars around the world and especially the US which is the wine’s biggest importer. It is the fossilised soil of Sancerre which gives it its special terroir, a word that sums up all that is great about French food and wine and yet which is almost impossible to explain. In technical terms it refers to the characteristics of a soil, influenced by the weather, the geology and the geography of the land – but it is much more than that, great terroir has great soul. The wines of Sancerre are AOC, Appelation d’Origine Contrôlée, a label that recognises produce as being outstanding and based on the concept of terroir.

 So far so good I thought, but to understand all this a bit better I went to the Maison des Sancerre, a very modern type of museum that tells the story of Sancerre using high tech media. I learned that the land of Sancerre has a secret – that wherever you stand, the soil is not of the same type or age. It is this that makes for an exceptional mosaic of terroir that enables the vines to produce the outstanding grapes for the wine.

I was surprised to discover that Sancerre makes not only white wine but red and rosé too – though in very small amounts (and mostly available locally). There are hundreds of small estates dotted on the 7.5k acres of Sancerre and each may have different soil from the others – all of which offers unlimited possibilities for blending. There are as many wines as winemakers and around 350 families making wine.

Out in the pretty gardens of the Maison des Sancerre is a grape picking machine which had everyone in peels of laughter as it lurched crazily as the amateurs attempted to work the controls – not as easy as you might think. Up on the terrace tables were readied for wine tastings – part of the visit and a bottle of perfectly chilled white Sancerre was produced for me to taste. As I sat there, sipping from the glass (which you get to keep as a souvenir), looking out over this gorgeous valley, I realised a profound truth. The Director of the Maison des Sancerres, Denis Rournet, who had poured the wine, had said “You don’t have to know anything about wine to appreciate the taste… when you take one glass you want another”.  He was absolutely right. I know very little about wines but I know one thing, I like Sancerre a lot!

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18 Responses

  1. Kate says:

    This place looks gorgeous. Countryside, lovely village and wine? Sign me up! I don’t know a huge amount about wine but I do love to try different wines that are from regions I travel in so this would be great
    Kate recently posted…Restaurant Week: Newcastle-Upon-TyneMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Kate I grew up with the Swan Valley and Margaret River wines on my doorstep but I love trying wines from other areas. Thanks for your comment.

  2. This is looks like a lovely place to visit and just enjoy a little countryside with some good wine to boot.
    Bianca @itsallbee recently posted…China | Food, Retail Therapy and Haggling in GuangzhouMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Yes, amazing countryside and good wine, sounds too good to be true.

  3. What a quaint little town. I’m big at trying new white whites at dinner. When I get back to town I’ll have to look for this at the store to see if they have this brand.
    Carmens (CarmensTravelTips) recently posted…Space Needle, SeattleMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Let me know if you find the wine and if so, what you think of it. But then it comes from such a lovely area it must flow into the wine too.

  4. Lauren says:

    I love trying new wine, and I’m not familiar with Sancerre wine but I would love to try it sometime! It sounds like a great place, too!
    Lauren recently posted…Travel Blogger Thursday: Samantha of MyTanFeetMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Let me know what you think of it when you try it Lauren.

  5. Milosz Zak says:

    I’m big on white wine, not so much on the reds. Did you encounter any roses – I’m starting to develop a taste for those the older I get.
    Milosz Zak recently posted…Khan al-Khalili BazaarMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Milosz I am with you, not much on reds at all but don’t mind nice rose or white but prefer them to be sweet.

  6. Hannah says:

    I’ve never been a big wine drinker- but I am starting to slowly appreciate some. I’ll have to give Sancerre a shot sometime- and the town looks lovely. Love the opening photo btw!
    Hannah recently posted…Things that I love: European CastlesMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Yes, not just a great read by Janine, but also wonderful photos. I look forward to meeting her and sipping some wine in Sancerre next year.

  7. The town looks so quaint and laid back, and gives astounding views! Those quite lanes and never ending wine yards are absolute postcards. A perfect place to sip a wine and relax in the lap of nature.
    Anu (Country Hopping Couple) recently posted…Photo Essay: North Berwick, a haven for ornithologistsMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Those views are breathtaking aren’t they Anu? I really hope to include this region in my Europe trip I am planning for next year.

  8. Amy says:

    The town looks adorable! I’m a little ashamed to admit that I’m not familiar with Sancerre (the wine). I’m not a wine connoisseur but I do enjoy my fair share 🙂 I’ll have to give it a try one of these days and maybe visit the town, too!
    Amy recently posted…5 easy international weekend trips from the US West CoastMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Amy, it does look adorable. I hadn’t heard of Sancerre the town or wine until I read this guest post but both are definitely on my list now.

  9. I love visiting wine producing regions and Sancerre looks fantastic. So gorgeous.
    Charles McCool recently posted…Florida FavoritesMy Profile

    • Lyn says:

      Thanks for the comment Charles, Have you been to Sancerre? It does looking amazing and I will be putting on my list of places to visit in France next year.

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