Pouilly Fumé (The Secret Joys of an Unsung Wine)

The first thing you need to know about Pouilly Fumé is that it is the name of a region. In France, they name most of their wines by the region or town from where the grapes are grown. Certain areas like Pouilly Fumé gain a reputation for having wines of a particular style that wine drinkers can count on being consistent and they’ve been doing it for hundreds of years. This is kind of like saying a Bordeaux wine or a Chianti which are also the names of places. It is different than wines in California that are named by the grape variety like Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. That tradition started because in the beginning no one knew what to expect from these “New World” places making wine.

Pouilly Fumé is a beautiful wine region that I visited and it has these contrasts of beautiful castles and small garages all making beautiful wines. Ladoucette is a beautiful winery making very noble wines and then you have the late nearby revolutionary winemaker Didier Daganeu famous for his piercing wines of intense flavors.

The village is within the Loire Valley region of France and nearby the region of Sancerre. Both Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé white wines are made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape. Now there is a difference between Pouilly Fumé and Pouilly Fuissé that are commonly confused.

Tell me in the comments below - do the two wine names confuse you - Pouilly Fumé v. Pouilly Fuissé? Write yes or no.

Both Pouilly Fumé and Pouilly Fuissé are white French wines, but the similarities end there. Pouilly Fumé is made with the Sauvignon Blanc grape known to be citrus like with lemon, grapefruit and even grassy flavors. Watch my video on how to describe wine to come up with your own fabulous descriptors here.

Pouilly Fuissé is made with Chardonnay and the village lies in the region of Burgundy, so it is richer, and fuller bodied. (watch my video on Body in wine)

Both are delicious treats and if you haven’t already, go out and buy one to try tonight! Discovering new wines is one of the best parts of wine tasting, don’t you think? Let me know what you love about wine tasting below!