DINE+WINE - wine time
Try your Sancerre with bites of Brie.
Sincere
about Sancerre
Flock Bistro al fresco means it’s officially summer by Trevor Burton | photography by Trevor Burton
Well, it’s happened again. Warm weather is here and that brings with it the awesome responsibility of dining outside. Other than my wife, one of my companions of choice when it comes to al fresco dining is a bottle of Sancerre white wine.
skies. Consequently, vines have to seek deep into the ground to get a drink and, along the way, they pick up lots of elements from the soil. Take a sip of Sancerre and the taste transports you directly to the region.
Citrus fruits give you a clue that the grape in Sancerre is Sauvignon Blanc—in France, with a few exceptions, wines are named for where they’re from and not what’s in them. In my mind, Sancerre is the benchmark for this varietal. I love the fresh, crisp grapefruit taste of Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand but I really get my taste buds giggling with the minerality of the French wine. The Sauvignon Blanc grape is grown world-wide. It is, probably, the most expressive of grapes. It really takes on the attributes of where it is grown. And that shows in Sancerre. As I said, this wine is high on my list.
There are lots of aspects to Sancerre’s aroma and taste but what jumps out and hits me on the palate is a flinty stoniness. It’s so tangible that you might look to see if you’ve got a pebble in your glass. This might sound a little unpleasant but when it’s put in the context of an aroma of hay and citrus fruits like lemon and grapefruit it becomes spectacular.
Bureaucratically, the village of Sancerre is lumped into the Loire region of France but the only connection it has with the rest of the Loire regions is its proximity to the Loire River. Sancerre is way inland, closer to France’s Burgundy region than the rest of the Loire regions. It’s isolated, with a “terroir” (soil and climate) that’s all its very own. One of the main reasons I like these wines is the way that this particular terroir shows through in the wine. The soil in Sancerre leaves much to be desired. It’s full of calcareous clay, limestone and flint. That’s a good thing when it comes to wines because it gives them complexity and character. Like most vines in the “Old World,” vines in Sancerre are not irrigated. What moisture they get comes only from the 56
LAKE NORMAN CURRENTS | JULY 2021
So, hooray, it’s time for flip-flops and tee shirts. What better way to drift through the summer months than tasting wines from Sancerre? And my wife and I certainly make an effort at it. We often swing by Flock Bistro in Mooresville for a bite of lunch. Flock has a few outdoor tables. I love sitting at one of these tables with a glass or two of Sancerre. The serious decision that arises is what food to enjoy with them. Some context: in the past I had a business partner who lived in the village of Meaux, just east of Paris. He and I often noshed together on a plate of Brie de Meaux along with a glass of Sancerre. In a sense of simple nostalgia, I go for a slice of Brie with my Sancerre at Flock. Add to that a dash of foie gras and a baguette and you’re in for a simply delicious experience. Flock’s chef turns this basic dish into a work of art; a classic, tasty work of art. With all of this in front of me, I’m in full French food and wine mode. I can’t think of a tastier place to be. And so, yes— I’m very sincere about Sancerre.
