Drink different - sauvignon blanc

I’ve written about New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc before, because it is quite the wine of the moment, offering dry, crisp wines with fresh acidity and melon and tangy grapefruit flavours.  Previously I suggested Riesling as an alternative, but what if you want to stick with Sauvignon, but want to drink something different?

Strangely, it is the heart of the old world which offers the answer.  The Loire river is the spiritual home of this grape, offering a more delicate, subtle style than its antipodean rival.

Sancerre was the fad of the 1980s, but close by is Quincy, the second oldest appellation in France (after Chateauneuf-du-Pape).  It offers slightly racier, more rustic wines than Sancerre, with bigger flavours more in the New Zealand mould.  And because it’s not that fashionable, it offers great value, too.