Producer · Loire, France

Vignerons de Valençay

Vignerons de Valençay is probably the smallest co-operative in the Loire, maybe in all of France. It has just two members: winemaker Sébastien Vaillant, who also runs his own family estate, and his friend Damien Boisseur.

They farm 40 hectares on the slopes around the river Cher, much of it on flint soils, which the Loire prizes for very mineral wines. Valençay was the first French area with official status for both its wine and its cheese, a pyramid of goat's cheese that is lovely with the local whites. Their Sauvignon Blanc is bright, fruity and zippy, made to drink young, and great value.

Sauvignon Blanc · £12.99 a bottle