Central Vineyards
Cool continental
The upper Loire around Sancerre and Pouilly, where flinty, mineral Sauvignon Blanc is at its most precise.
Overview
About Central Vineyards
The Central Vineyards (Centre-Loire) lie at the eastern, upriver end of the Loire, close to the geographic middle of France. Sauvignon Blanc is the star, in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, and Pinot Noir makes lighter reds and rosés in Sancerre and neighbouring appellations.
Smaller appellations nearby — Menetou-Salon, Quincy and Reuilly — make wines in the same style, often at lower prices. The region's whites are sharp, mineral and aromatic, and the classic match for the local goat's cheese.
Hover a marker to see what's grown there, and click it to open that place. On a touch screen, tap once to preview and again to open. Bigger markers have more grapes linked to them.
France
Shaded: Cher, Nièvre. Map units are states, provinces or départements, so a smaller place appears as the larger area that contains it.
The land
Climate & terroir
Climate
Cool continental
More continental than the western Loire, with colder winters and warmer summers. Spring frost and hail are the main hazards, and vintages vary widely.
Terroir & soils
What the vines grow in
Kimmeridgian limestone marl (terres blanches), limestone pebbles (caillottes) and flint (silex), giving different flavours from the same grape.
Go deeper
Rules, years & producers
The Central Vineyards are divided into named appellations, each on a small, distinctive stretch of the river.
Sancerre
On the left bank in Cher; Sauvignon Blanc whites and Pinot Noir reds and rosés.
Pouilly-Fumé
On the right bank in Nièvre; Sauvignon Blanc only.
Menetou-Salon, Quincy and Reuilly
Smaller neighbouring appellations, in a similar style.
Pouilly-sur-Loire
A separate, tiny appellation for the Chasselas grape, not to be confused with Pouilly-Fumé.
Within Central Vineyards
Appellations
Pouilly-Fumé
Sancerre's neighbour across the Loire: Sauvignon Blanc with a smokier, more savoury edge from flint and limestone.
Sancerre
A hilltop wine town above the Loire, and the benchmark for crisp, mineral, flinty Sauvignon Blanc, plus light Pinot Noir.
What's grown here
Grapes
Grapes linked to Central Vineyards or to a place within it. Each grape's page links back here.