Sancerre

Sancerre (Latin Sacrum Caesar, later Sincerra ) is a municipality with 1594 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the department of Cher in central France. Sancerre is about 150 m higher than the nearby Loire and the Loire Lateral Canal (Canal in the Loire ) on a hill and is therefore visible from far away. The place is 40 km away from the cities of Bourges and Nevers. The area around Sancerre is known for its cheese ( Crottin de Chavignol ) and their wine.

Winery in Sancerre

The place is one of the most famous white wines of the Loire region ( see also the article Loire ( wine region ) ) his name Sancerre. Sancerre was declared ( adjustment on 18 March 1998 ) for Appellation d' Origine ( AOC abbreviated ) on 23 January 1959. The total of 2570 hectares of vineyards are located west of the Loire. The vineyards are located in a hilly area at an altitude of 200 to 300 m above sea level. NN. Apart from Sancerre are the communities Cosne ( the only community east of the Loire ), Sainte -Gemme, Sury -en Vaux, Verdigny, Chavignol, MENETOU - Ratel, Bué, Crézancy -en- Sancerre, Montigny, Veaugues, Viñón and Thauvenay in the AOC Sancerre admitted.

The floor can be divided into three zones. In the west (near Menetou salon ), the Terres Blanches, the so-called white floors, which consist of a mixture of clay and limestone soil. The soil is similar to that of Chablis; here rather creates powerful wines. In the central part of the area is strongly gravel and limestone soil that produces fine wines. In the east, near Sancerre, the soil is rich in flint. The wines are very fragrant and long lasting.

The climate is characterized continental. Winters are cold, and the vineyards are strong frost in spring. Only the proximity of the Loire and the surrounding forest and the cultivation on steep slopes in convenient locations allow through their mitigating influence viticulture.

Until the mid- 20th century, mainly produced red wine and a little white wine from the grape variety Chasselas. In the 1960s, about 700 hectares of vineyards were only still in operation. In the 1970s, Sancerre became a fashion wine which was also happy to offer bistros as a counterpart to the red Beaujolais. However, the huge popularity led to a lot of mediocre wine was born. The situation has calmed down, and the wines are also due to improved winemaking technology is generally of good quality.

Today the wines are made only from two varieties:

• Sauvignon Blanc: In the year 2002 126.100 hectoliters of white wine made ​​from this grape variety. The wines are usually ready to eat even in youth, but can be stored for several years.
• Pinot Noir: gives a light red wine ( to a lesser extent rosé). In the year 2002 32.710 hl of red wine (rosé ) were prepared. The wines are a limited shelf life.

Sons and daughters of the town

• Jacques MacDonald (1765-1840), Duke of Tarentum, Marshal of France