Beyond Sancerre: Affordable Loire Sauvignon Blancs and the Risks of Ordering Red Wine by the Glass

By TOM MARQUARDT and PATRICK DARR

White wine enthusiasts have fallen hard for Sancerre. This Loire Valley appellation, known for exceptional sauvignon blanc, has gained significant consumer recognition lately.

Its food-pairing versatility has secured Sancerre a permanent place on restaurant wine lists, much like Pouilly-Fuissé enjoyed in its heyday. For many 1980s wine drinkers, Pouilly-Fuissé served as an introduction to both Chardonnay and French viticulture. Unfortunately, inflated prices coupled with mediocre offerings throughout the 1990s triggered a collapse from which the region has never fully recovered.

Finding Sancerre priced under $30 has become increasingly difficult. Fortunately, savvy consumers can explore numerous other Loire Valley appellations offering excellent sauvignon blanc alternatives.

The eastern Loire Valley, with its cool continental climate, produces most sauvignon blanc. We discovered exceptional values from the recently established Vin de Pays Val de Loire appellation. This EU-approved designation permits sourcing grapes from across the Loire Valley, enabling producers to offer sauvignon blancs in the $15-20 range. We’ve sampled several Loire Valley sauvignon blancs recently; our findings follow.

Henri Bourgeois Petite Bourgeois Sauvignon Blanc Vin de Pays du Val de Loire 2023 ($16-20). Citrusy, creamy notes and a nice, smooth finish.

Reverdy Charme de Loire Sauvignon Blanc Vin de Pays du Val du Loire 2023 ($15). Our second favorite of the tasting sporting lovely lemony mineral notes and some intriguing notes of passion fruit. A nice creamy finish.

Florian Mollet Roc de l’Abbaye Val de Loire IGP 2023 ($15-22). A pleasant sauvignon blanc with dominant mineral notes and a creamy citrusy flavor.

Nicolas Idiart Sauvignon Blanc Val de Loire IGP 2024 ($15-20) Our favorite of the grouping, this one has tropical fruit notes of guava, passion fruit and citrus cloaked in a mineral robe. A terrific well priced glass of wine.

Fournier Sauvignon Blanc Vin du France 2023 ($15). Made from grapes from Fournier Loire, herbal nose and flavors, along with bright acidity.

Château de la Roche Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2023 ($16-20). Although this appellation would technically command a slightly higher price, we included it in our tasting due to its reasonable price. A little more muted than the other sauvignon blancs in the tasting it offered a nice mineral inflected white wine experience.

Wines by the glass

Have you ever thought about ordering red wine by the glass? It sounds ideal: you limit your risk of overindulging or breaking drunk-driving laws, you only pay for what you actually drink, and you can sample multiple varieties with your meal.

But there’s a catch: you rarely know how long that red has been open. It might have been poured just an hour earlier or left uncorked at room temperature for days, with no way to tell until it reaches your lips.

Many restaurants manage white wines by the glass more carefully. Cold storage keeps them fresher longer, yet reds often languish once exposed to air. High-end venues install preservation systems like Cruvinet, which blankets opened bottles in inert gas, and wine reps even carry portable gas injectors for tastings. But a multi-bottle setup can cost thousands, making it impractical for most bars and local bistros.

A quick question to your server or bartender can help, since some will open a fresh bottle if you express doubts. We’ve found that reds ordered early in lunch or dinner service are often leftovers from the previous evening. Seeing half-empty bottles isn’t encouraging, and while refrigeration extends a red’s life, you then have to wait for it to reach the proper serving temperature.

We’ve learned to reserve red by-the-glass orders for times when we can confirm the opening date or the presence of a preservation system. Although this limits our red options, it’s introduced us to many white wines we might never have tried otherwise.

Santa Maria Estates

We often turn to Argentina for inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignons, but several producers have clearly demonstrated that they can also make top-drawer versions, albeit at a higher price. Here are two we recently tasted from Santa Maria Estates:

Dona Paula Selección de Bodega Malbec 2021 ($60). Classic malbec flavors with nots of black cherries, blueberries and spices. Rich, complex and ready for a good steak.

Vina Santa Rita Pewen de Apalta 2021 ($70). Inky color with notes of ripe plums and blackberries. A touch of minerality and a rich, smooth mouthfeel make it a delicious drink.

Wine picks

Famiglia Casadei Le Anfore di Elena Casadei Cannonau di Sardegna 2022 ($40). We can’t say enough about this utterly delicious red wine from Sardinia. Made mostly from cannonau grapes with 10 percent tintillu, it bursts with wild berry flavors and nuances of herbs and chocolate. With only a brush of tannins, it has that quaffability that dares you to resist a second glass.

Frescobaldi Benefizio Castello Pomino Riserva 2021 ($50-55). Although this wine sees some wood aging it presents as a crisp white plum and pear fruit driven chardonnay. The wood aging appears in the pleasing creamy finish.

CGW Akido Kisi Kakheti 2022 ($17). This is a fine white wine from the country of Georgia. It is made from the kisi grape, one of the oldest grapes cultivated in Georgia. Luscious tropical fruit notes of pineapple and citrus. Delicious!

8K Ancient Red Saperavi Kakheti Quevri ($20-25). 100 percent saperavi grapes creates a delicious deep ripe fruit driven wine. Smooth and easy to drink.

Mc Collum Heritage 91 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Chehalem Mountains 2021 ($33). A nice woodsy presentation of pinot noir featuring cranberry and cherry notes. A real winner with roasted salmon.