Situated just across the river from Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé is known for balanced, structured white wines. Sauvignon Blanc is also known locally as Blanc Fumé, for the grey, smoke-colored bloom that grows on the skins of Sauvignon Blanc grapes.

There have been vines planted on the hillsides of Pouilly Fumé since the fifth centry AD, although they were destroyed twice: in the late ninth century by a battle between King Charles the Bald and Lothaire, and a thousand years later by phylloxera. Up until the dreaded late nineteenth century epidemic, much of the grapes grown in Pouilly Fumé were of the Chasselas varietal, which were sent along the Loire to Paris as table grapes. Wines were vinified from Chasselas as well, and a few producers continue to do so exclusively in Pouilly sur Loire. Once trains began to transport less expensive table grapes from other parts of France, the growers of Pouilly Fumé turned to wine production and saw a bright future in the Sauvignon Blanc grape which is now the dominant varietal in the region.

The vines of Pouilly Fumé are planted in mostly limestone, flint, and clay soils. The standard for the wines is a light golden color, about 12.5° of alcohol, and around 5 grams per liter of acidity. Pouilly Fumé generally requires a year to eighteen months aging in bottle, and will continue to age well after that. Fish, shellfish, and white meats are all excellent complements to the smoke and flint aromas for Pouilly Fumé, whose structure and balance make it a good match for richer foods.