Of all the white grape varieties only Chardonnay is more popular than Sauvignon Blanc. The main white grape of Bordeaux, it came to prominence in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé with deep fruit aromas of gooseberries and blackberries.

Although the growing of Sauvignon Blanc has spread across the globe, notably in New Zealand, it really is at its best from the Upper Loire where it thrives in the cooler climate. Most sauvignons have a very dry finish and are well suited to seafood dishes, the grape is also blended with Semillon to produce wonderful dessert wines such as Sauternes and Monbazillac. The majority of wine producers in the Upper Loire produce either Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé and below is a list of the more notable.

Recommended Producers

Sancerre Vincent Delaporte Jean-Marie Bourgeois Jean-Francois Bailly Paul Millérioux Domaines Laporte Lucien Crochet
Pouilly-Fumé Paul Figeat Michel Bailly Guy Saget Bernard Blanchet Didier Dagueneau Patrick Coulbois