Sancerre wine

Like other famous Old World wines, Sancerre is both the name of a wine and a place.

A small wine region in the Loire Valley of central France, Sancerre is known for its rolling limestone hills and a cool continental climate of cold winters and warm summers.

The region is most famous for its white Sancerre wine, made entirely from Sauvignon Blanc – its most widely planted grape. It also produces some rosés and reds using locally grown Pinot Noir.

Sancerre whites are crisp, dry, and aromatic, with aromas and flavours of gooseberries, citrus, herbs, grass and a minerally edge. Sancerre was designated an appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) for its white wine in 1936, with a second designation awarded in 1959 for its red wines.

Sancerre is mainly known for its white wines, made entirely from Sauvignon Blanc, a green-skinned grape native to France. Good Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc is known for producing crisp and refreshing wines with grassy, grapefruit flavours.

The region also produces rosé wines and light reds, which are made from Pinot Noir.

The latter is often compared to Beaujolais for its delightfully smooth finish and elegant, fruity flavours.

Sancerre wine is typically light- to medium-bodied but always bone-dry, with delicate flavours and intense aromas.

Its wines are typically unoaked, with winemakers fermenting and ageing the grapes in stainless steel tanks instead. In some rare cases, contact with oak produces deeper, more complex wines with additional flavours like brioche and shortbread.

You’ll also find distinct flavour profiles depending on the vineyards where the grapes are grown. Sancerre is best known for its limestone-based light soils, which imparts a flinty minerality to wines such as those produced in Ménétréol-sous-Sancerre. But if you travel to the village of Bué in the west Sancerre, you’d find clay soils that produce fuller, more rounded profiles, while the chalky limestone of Chavignol produces lighter and more aromatic wines.

Sancerre wines are extremely dry, refreshing and intensely aromatic. They’re most loved for their intense peach and gooseberry flavours, but you can also find notes of lemon, yellow plum, apricot, honeydew melon, green apple, pear, grass and chamomile.

White Sancerre wines are also known for their flinty flavour from the chalky soil in which the Sauvignon Blanc grapes are grown.

Rosé Sancerre wines, produced using Pinot Noir grapes, are bursting with ripe red berry flavours, such as strawberry, raspberry and red cherry. They can also have savoury flavours, such as green grass, or a smooth caramel finish.

Ruby red Sancerre Rouge (the region’s red wine), is also made using Pinot Noir and has flavours of juicy red plums, sweet red cherry and a light peppery finish.

Sancerre white wine’s light to medium body and delicate fruity flavours make it an ideal partner for white meat and seafood. The wine’s citrus flavours cut through the fattiness of salmon or trout, but they also complement grilled pork, turkey and roast chicken dishes.

You can pair Sancerre wines with light, summer vegetable dishes if meat isn’t on the menu. Asparagus, avocado, summer squash, tomatillos or green onion are perfect here.

Sancerre works beautifully with a variety of cheese. Goats cheese is a happy partner – particularly those made in the Sancerre region. Creamy options, such as Brie and Camembert, are also excellent choices.

Learn more in our beginner's guide to food and wine pairing. 

Like most white wines, Sancerre is best served chilled – between 10–12°C. This helps bring out the delicate fruity and green savoury flavours and balance its acidity.

When serving your Sancerre Blanc, opt for a classic white wine glass. The narrow rim and small bowl help concentrate the wine’s aroma.

Discover more tips to serve the perfect glass of wine.