Sancerre: Domaine Masson-Blondelet Thauvenay

The Loire is France's longest river, running almost 400km from the Massif Central westwards to the Atlantic, and gives its name to one of the country's most diverse wine regions. Spanning some 57,000 hectares across Loire-Atlantique, Anjou-Saumur, Touraine, and the Centre, it produces the full range of styles - fresh, light whites from Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc, elegant reds and rosés from Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, and Gamay, plus sweet and sparkling wines. Its western vineyards enjoy a maritime Atlantic climate, while the more easterly Centre is cooler and continental, and its chalky limestone soils help the wines retain their signature freshness and acidity. Home to 69 appellations, including the famous Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, the Loire offers something to please every palate.

One of the world's most famous white-wine appellations, set on rolling hills on the left bank of the upper Loire, across the river from Pouilly-Fumé, with which it shares many characteristics. Though originally renowned for its Pinot Noir reds, it is now celebrated above all for its Sauvignon Blanc, made across some 2,800 hectares of limestone and flinty soils. Always dry, the wines are crisp and mineral with a persistent, thirst-quenching acidity that reflects the region's cool, continental climate. Sauvignon Blanc dominates, while Pinot Noir accounts for around 20% of production, going into elegant reds and fresh, fruity rosés.