Pouilly-sur-Loire is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée

Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée

Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...

(AOC) for white wine

Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...

 in the Loire Valley

Loire Valley (wine)

The Loire Valley wine region includes the French wine regions situated along the Loire River from the Muscadet region near the city of Nantes on the Atlantic coast to the region of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé just southeast of the city of Orléans in north central France. In between are the regions of...

 region of France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. It is specifically produced around Pouilly-sur-Loire

Pouilly-sur-Loire

Pouilly-sur-Loire is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France.Pouilly-sur-Loire is a picturesque town famous for the white wine known as Pouilly-Fumé. There are numerous domaines that the wine tourist can visit and where he can sample the wines produced by that domaine. Two of those...

 in the Nièvre

Nièvre

Nièvre is a department in the centre of France named after the Nièvre River.-History:Nièvre is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...

 department and was awarded AOC status by a decree issued on July 31, 1937

Geography

The vineyards cover 60 hectares (148.3 acre) on the right bank of the Loire

Loire (river)

The Loire is the longest river in France. With a length of , it drains an area of , which represents more than a fifth of France's land area. It is the 170th longest river in the world...

, opposite the Sancerre vineyards.

The appellation's area covers the communes of Garchy

Garchy

Garchy is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France.-Demographics:At the 1999 census, the population was 398. On 1 January 2006, the estimate was 417.-References:*...

, Mesves-sur-Loire

Mesves-sur-Loire

Mesves-sur-Loire is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France.-History:In 1918, during World War I, a field between the towns of Mesves-sur-Loire and Bulcy was the site of a huge American Army hospital. In November, 1918, there were 20,186 patients and a total of 38,765 wounded and...

, Pouilly-sur-Loire

Pouilly-sur-Loire

Pouilly-sur-Loire is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France.Pouilly-sur-Loire is a picturesque town famous for the white wine known as Pouilly-Fumé. There are numerous domaines that the wine tourist can visit and where he can sample the wines produced by that domaine. Two of those...

, Saint-Andelain

Saint-Andelain

Saint-Andelain is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France.It lies just a couple of km east of Pouilly-sur-Loire, famous for the wine known as Pouilly-Fumé. Saint-Andelain sits on a hilltop and is surrounded by vineyards that are part of the Pouilly-Fumé wine region...

, Saint-Laurent-l'Abbaye

Saint-Laurent-l'Abbaye

Saint-Laurent-l'Abbaye is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France.-References:*...

, Saint-Martin-sur-Nohain

Saint-Martin-sur-Nohain

Saint-Martin-sur-Nohain is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France.-References:*...

 and Tracy-sur-Loire

Tracy-sur-Loire

Tracy-sur-Loire is a commune in the Nièvre department in central France.-Boisgibault:Boisgibault is a village north of Nevers, in Nièvre, part of the commune Tracy-sur-Loire. It is known for its white wine Pouilly-Fumé and the Natural Reserve of Val de Loire, created by decree 95-1240 on 21...

 in the Nièvre

Nièvre

Nièvre is a department in the centre of France named after the Nièvre River.-History:Nièvre is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...

 department.

Description

Pouilly-sur-Loire is mainly produced from Chasselas

Chasselas

Chasselas or Chasselas Blanc is a wine grape variety grown in Switzerland, France, Germany, Portugal, Baja Norte, Mexico, Hungary and New Zealand.Theories of its origin vary. Pierre Galet believes it is a native Swiss variety....

 grapes, with Sauvignon

Sauvignon blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...

 as a supplementary variety. (Its more famous neighbours Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé

Pouilly-Fumé

Pouilly-Fumé is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée for dry white wine from the Loire Valley wine-producing region of France. Pouilly-Fumé is made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape variety. It is characterized by smoky flavors and minerality. The vineyards are located in the communes...

are made from Sauvignon Blanc only.)

It is a pale yellow in colour. The wine is light and lively.

Further reading

• Colette Hanicotte: Vins et vignobles de France. Éditions Larousse, Paris 1997 - 2001.