Savigny-en-Sancerre - Saint-Symphorien

Savigny-en-Sancerre is a small town (pop 1000) in the Sancerre area, probably cultivated already by the Romans, as the sloping hills provided grapes with enough sunlight and warmth to fully ripen. Sancerre wines were very popular, - Savigny had a population of about 2000 - until in the late 19th century, the phylloxera epidemic devastated the area. The vines were replanted with Sauvignon Blanc because they grafted better onto the American rootstocks. In the late 1970s and 1980s, the (new) quality consciousness helped to elevate the reputation of Sancerre as an elegant white wine, often compared to the neighbouring Pouilly-Fumé.

Saint-Symphorien, located in the centre Savigny-en-Sancerre was the church of a priory, erected in the 12th century. Nave and choir are still from the 12th, while the arms of the transept and the apses were redone in the 19th century.