The Perfect Pair: Sancerree Wine And Fondue

When it comes to wine and fondue, it's important to remember that melted cheese doesn't pair easily with wine, especially reds. The general rule of thumb is to opt for crisp, dry, or aromatic white wines. So, does Sancerre, a French Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley, fit the bill?

Sancerre is known for its dry, crisp, and refreshing flavour profile, with notes of citrus, green fruit, and grass. It is often described as having a lovely mineral character, with a multi-layered texture and good acidity. When it comes to food pairings, Sancerre is typically matched with goat's cheese, seafood, and roast chicken.

So, how does Sancerre fare with fondue? Well, it depends on the type of fondue. A classic cheese fondue is made with a blend of Gruyère and Emmental, but other types of cheese like Swiss cheese, Comté, Raclette, Fontina, Gouda, and Cheddar are also used. For a cheese fondue, a light-bodied red wine like a young Burgundy, Gamay, or Dole is recommended. However, a crisp, dry white wine can also work well, and this is where Sancerre comes in. The high acidity and citrus notes in Sancerre can help cut through the richness of the cheese, providing a refreshing contrast.

Therefore, while not traditionally paired with fondue, Sancerre could be a good match for a classic cheese fondue, especially if you're looking for a dry, crisp white wine to complement the dish.

Sancerre wine and fondue: a good pairing?

Sancerre is a French wine, produced in the Loire Valley. It is known for its Sauvignon Blanc, although the region also makes reds and rosés from Pinot Noir. The Sauvignon Blanc is characterised by citrus, green fruit and grassy flavours, with a refreshing acidity. The reds are light and fresh, with minimal time spent in oak.

Fondue, meanwhile, is a Swiss dish, which involves melting cheese and dipping bite-sized pieces of food into it. The cheese is usually a blend of Emmental and Gruyère, although other types of cheese can be used.

So, is Sancerre a good wine to pair with fondue? The answer is yes – but it depends on the type of Sancerre.

A classic match with Sancerre white wine is goat's cheese. As fondue often uses Gruyère, this could be a good pairing. However, the late sommelier Gérard Basset OBE MW MS recommended steering clear of mature goat's cheeses, as the strong flavour could be an issue.

If you opt for a red Sancerre, this could also work well with fondue. Red Sancerre should be served slightly cooler than room temperature and given time to breathe. As the fat in cheese can overwhelm light wines, a young, light Pinot Noir like Sancerre rouge can work well.

In general, when pairing wine with fondue, it is recommended to go for crisp, dry whites or fresh, light reds. Full-bodied reds are usually best avoided. Other good wine pairings for fondue include Swiss Chasselas, Chignin or Roussette from Savoie, Muscadet, Chablis, dry Alsace or Austrian Riesling, and young Grüner Veltliner.

What is Sancerre wine?

Sancerre is a French wine Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) for wine produced in the area of Sancerre in the eastern part of the Loire Valley, southeast of Orléans. It is primarily associated with white wine made from the Sauvignon blanc grape, though both red and rosé wines are also made, constituting around 20% and less than 1% of Sancerre's total output, respectively. The basis for the red and rosé wines is the red grape Pinot noir.

Sancerre is known for its flinty, dry, light, and crisp Sauvignon Blanc wines, which have a minerality and freshness that makes them drinkable on their own, as well as a perfect pairing for foods such as brie, oysters, grilled fish, and seafood linguine. The region's rolling limestone hills and semi-continental climate deliver richly textured Sauvignon Blanc wines with ripe gooseberry aromas, bracing acidity, and flinty-smoke flavours.

Sancerre is part of the "central vineyards" of the Loire Valley, so-called because they are nearly in the centre of France. The area is more than 300 miles from the Atlantic Coast and is actually closer to the Champagne wine region than it is to the Middle Loire city of Tours. This distance from the Atlantic gives the region a more continental climate than is typical for the rest of the Loire Valley, with short, hot summers and long, cold winters.

The town of Sancerre lies on an outcrop of chalk that runs from the White Cliffs of Dover down through Champagne and Chablis. A series of small valleys cut through the chalk, each with its own soils and microclimate, or terroir. In the east are the "flints" that make minerally, long-lived wines. Between the town and Verdigny, the soil consists of marl and gravel, producing fruity, well-balanced wines. In the southwest, away from the river towards Menetou-Salon, the chalky "terres blanches" (white ground) produce weightier wines.

The area around Sancerre was likely first cultivated by the Romans, perhaps in the 1st century AD. In the late 19th century, the phylloxera epidemic devastated the area, wiping out the majority of the region's vines. They were replanted with Sauvignon Blanc, partly because it grafted better onto American rootstocks. After World War II, the wines gained a reputation in the Paris bistro scene as an easy-drinking white wine equivalent to Beaujolais. In the late 1970s and 1980s, a wave of quality consciousness helped elevate the reputation of Sancerre as an elegant and food-friendly white wine that became popular on restaurant lists across the globe.

What is fondue?

Fondue is a Swiss dish that consists of a communal pot of melted cheese and wine, served warm and eaten by dipping bite-sized pieces of food into the cheese. The word "fondue" comes from the French verb "fondre", which means "to melt".

Fondue originated in Switzerland in the 18th century as a way to use hardened cheese and stale bread during the winter months. The first written recipes for fondue appear in 18th-century cookbooks published in France and Belgium, although they call for Gruyère, a Swiss cheese. Fondue was popularized as a Swiss national dish by the Swiss Cheese Union in the 1930s as a way of increasing cheese consumption in Switzerland. It was introduced to the United States in 1964 at the Swiss Pavilion's Alpine restaurant at the New York World's Fair.

The traditional Swiss fondue consists of a blend of cheeses, wine, and seasoning, although there are many variations, such as using beer instead of wine. The cheese is traditionally a blend of Emmental and Gruyère, although Swiss cheese, Comté, Raclette, Fontina, Gouda, and Cheddar are also commonly used. The wine helps to flavour the fondue and its acid also keeps the cheese from stringing together. Cornstarch is added to the mixture to stabilize and thicken it, creating a smooth and creamy texture.

Fondue is typically served in a ceramic or cast iron pot, known as a caquelon, and kept warm using a small candle or similar heat source underneath. Diners skewer bite-sized pieces of food on long-stemmed forks and dip them into the melted cheese. Besides bread, popular foods to dip into fondue include vegetables, meats, and potatoes. The best bite of fondue is said to develop at the bottom of the pot during the course of the meal, as a crusty slab of cheese called le religieuse forms and is reverentially scraped off and shared.

In addition to the traditional cheese fondue, there are also other types of fondue such as fondue bourguignonne, which features hot oil instead of cheese and chunks of meat in place of bread, and fondue au chocolat, which consists of a pot of melted chocolate into which pieces of fruit, pastry, or other treats are dipped.

What foods go with Sancerre wine?

Sancerre is a white wine produced from the Sauvignon Blanc grape in the Sancerre region of France's Loire Valley. It is known for its crisp, refreshing acidity and flavours of citrus, minerality, and flint.

Sancerre is often paired with seafood, goat cheese, and other light fare. It is a versatile wine that can be enjoyed with a variety of dishes. Here are some suggestions for food pairings that will complement the flavours of Sancerre:

• Seafood: Sancerre is a classic pairing with seafood, especially grilled trout, salmon, and bass. The crisp acidity of the wine cuts through the richness of the fish, while the flinty, smoky flavours complement the seafood's delicate taste.
• Goat Cheese: A traditional pairing with Sancerre is goat cheese, specifically the Crottin de Chavignol from the village of Chavignol in the Sancerre region. The tangy, nutty flavours of aged goat cheese contrast beautifully with the wine's citrus and mineral notes.
• Poultry and Meat: Sancerre also goes well with roast chicken, turkey, and pork chops. The wine's acidity helps to cut through the richness of the meat, and the herbal and grassy notes in the wine complement the savoury flavours of the dish.
• Vegetables: Sancerre pairs well with a variety of vegetables, including zucchini, arugula, greens, avocado, summer squash, garlic ramps, asparagus, cauliflower, cucumber, tomatillo, jicama, bell pepper, onion, and Yukon Gold potatoes. The wine's crispness and freshness enhance the flavours of the vegetables without overwhelming them.
• Herbs and Spices: When it comes to herbs and spices, Sancerre is a versatile partner. It goes well with tarragon, thyme, chervil, basil, parsley, chives, cilantro, garlic, shallots, white and black pepper, coriander, lemon, lime, ginger, and horseradish. These herbs and spices enhance the wine's own herbal and citrus notes.
• Salads and Sides: Sancerre is a great choice for pairing with salads and side dishes. It goes well with a variety of salad greens and vegetables, as well as sides such as couscous tabbouleh salad, cherry tomato salad with roasted lemons, and Brussels sprouts salad. The wine's freshness and acidity complement the flavours of the salads and sides without overpowering them.

What wines go with fondue?

When it comes to choosing a wine to pair with fondue, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, fondue typically involves melted cheese, which can be tricky to pair with wine, especially reds. Therefore, it is generally recommended to go for crisp, dry, or aromatic white wines.

White Wines

• Pinot Gris
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Un-oaked Chardonnay
• Dry Riesling
• Grüner Veltliner
• Chenin Blanc
• Swiss Chasselas
• Chignin or Roussette from Savoie
• Muscadet
• Chablis
• Dry Alsace or Austrian Riesling
• Young Grüner Veltliner
• Apremont
• Champagne and Crémant
• Saint-Véran
• Nikolaihof Hefeabzug Grüner Veltliner
• Pépière La Pepie Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie

Red Wines

If you prefer red wine, it is recommended to go for a fresh, light-bodied variety, such as:

• Young red Burgundy
• Pinot Noir
• Gamay
• Beaujolais
• Dôle
• Poulsard from the Jura
• Lauverjat Moulin des Vrillères Sancerre Rouge

When pairing red wines with fondue, it is best to serve them slightly chilled and allow them to breathe before serving.

In terms of specific wine regions, the Loire Valley and Burgundy are often recommended for both white and red wines to pair with fondue. For example, a Sancerre wine from the Loire Valley can be a good option, as it is known for its delicious dry white wines with citrus, green fruit, and grassy flavours, as well as its red wines made from Pinot Noir.

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