Sancerre Is Flying Off of Shelves — Here Are 5 Wines to Try When You Can't Find Your Favorite Bottle

Sancerre wine has long been adored for its dry, light style. With a minerality and freshness that makes it drinkable on its own, it's also a perfect pairing to everything from brie and oysters to grilled fish and seafood linguine. Recently, there’s been a noticeable spike in Sancerre’s popularity – nationwide alcohol delivery platform Drizly reports that of the white wines produced in France, the Sancerre wine region is the most popular region, accounting for a 37 percent share in the past 12 months. 

But according to Nick Daddona, managing director of WineKey, a firm that specializes in running wine programs for hotels and fine dining restaurants, Sancerre’s rise to fame predates the past year. He points to the summer of 2019 as when he noticed taste preferences of guests were changing to more mineral focused wines with under ripe citrus and minimal green notes, away from the previously reigning style of herbaceous New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

In other words, Sancerre’s lack of pyrazines, the polarizing grassy, green bell pepper qualities found in the aforementioned New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc to expressions from South Africa, Chile and some producers in California, is more appealing to the evolved palate.

Sancerre – the dry, white wine produced from Sauvignon Blanc grapes grown in the eponymous French wine appellation within the Loire Valley – is also celebrated for what Francis Giraud, head sommelier at La Bouitte, a Relais & Châteaux property in the Trois Vallées of France, calls  “ability to appeal from a young age.” Although Sancerre wine is one of the finest expressions of the Sauvignon grape variety, the wine has long-remained reasonably priced, with many single vineyard expressions ranging between $10 to $30 per bottle.

While there are exceptions, like wines from renowned producers like François Cotat, Alphonse Mellot, Didier Dagueneau, and Vincent Pinard, Giraud says the positioning of “price and pleasure” is predominantly responsible for Sancerre’s success, which has been a key driver since the apellation’s early classification in 1936, and exacerbated recently.

For its approachable price, the wine is also “relatively uniform,” says Victoria Taylor, head sommelier at Bar Boulud and Boulud Sud, referencing Sancerre’s minerality, high acidity and quintessential grapefruit quality that make it a “dependable” pour. 

“People typically ask for Sancerre when ordering oysters, but their palates are changing and they are thinking of the wine in new ways,” explains Adrien Cascio, restaurant manager and head sommelier at Cenadou Bistrot by Andrea Calstier. When Cascio arrived from France to open the restaurant last year, he was surprised to find diners explicitly asking for Sancerre as opposed to Sauvignon Blanc.

With the increased interest in Sancerre, Taylor says ensuring inventory by both the glass and bottle selection is something she finds herself thinking about more often. “In a dream world, Bar Boulud would always have certain producers by the bottle, like Domaine Vacheron, Pascal Cotat, and Pierre Martin, but the reality is those wines are nearly impossible to obtain,” she says. 

Low yields over the last five years have exacerbated Sancerre’s scarcity. In somewhat of a perfect storm, when consumer demand increased, production was simultaneously impacted by climatic hazards like severe frosts. With demand outweighing production, prices increased (consumers can still find an average bottle between $30 to $60, but Sancerre’s price increase is relative for its category, especially in comparison to the likes of White Burgundy where bottle averages run between $70 to $100), which Taylor reminds is warranted due to Sancerre’s unique topography – steep and uneven terrain requires hand-picking, resulting in low fruit yields even in exceptional years. 

Yet, outside of Sancerre and even the Loire, there are plenty of styles that sommeliers and aficionados are praising for their similarities to Sancerre in terms of acidity, brightness and minerality. If you can’t find a bottle of Sancerre at your local bodega or a pour by the glass at your favorite restaurants, below are six different types of wines to try from France to further afield in Greece and Spain. 

Mathieu & Renaud Mabillot Reuilly Sauvignon Blanc

Reuilly is an appellation in the eastern Loire, where Mathieu & Renaud Mabillot produce their Sauvignon Blanc with younger vines than producers in Sancerre. Cascio says the wines deliver more instantaneousness, with a silky, yet fleshy palate that almost emanates a “crunchiness,” yet still expresses a very singular identity. 

Pouilly Fumé 2020 Les Poëte by Guillaume Sorbe

About 10 miles northwest of Sancerre lies the upper Loire Valley’s other famed region of Pouilly Fumé. This wine, recommended by Thomas Lorival, head sommelier at Relais & Châteaux Clos des Sens, is bright with an impressive volume and minerality, offering delicate notes of mandarin and white flower.

Isabelle Suire Saumur Blanc 2021

Still in the Loire, Anjou-Saumur is more famed for its Chenin Blanc, some of which offer the same zesty acidity that one would expect from a bottle of Sancerre. Taylor recommends this particular bottle produced from Isabelle’s historic winery along the southern banks of the valley for a textured yet fresh, bright, well-made and under $30 pour. 

Domaine Pellé Menetou-Salon Morogues

At the east end of the Loire Valley, winemaker Henry Pellé creates this expression with 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc grown in Menetou-Salon. Francis Giraud, head sommelier at Relais & Châteaux La Bouitte, says this wine offers a pure nose with a citrus-forward first sip and saline finish. 

Enric Soler, Xarel-lo "Improvisacio" Catalonia, Spain 2021

Taylor also enjoys working with Spanish wine, explaining that Xarel-lo, a Catalan grape usually used to add acidity to Cava, “can make a super racy and lemony still white wine.