The Most Versatile Wine Grape on Earth
Chenin Blanc is an ancient varietal that originated in the Loire Valley. The white grape is essential in wine regions as famous as Anjou, Savennieres and Vouvray, dominating the vineyards along the Loire River.
Chenin, though, is not an ordinary wine grape. It has the unique ability to produce all white wine styles, often with extraordinary results. Whether it’s a crisp, dry wine for warm summer days, a textural, medium-bodied wine to pair with dinner, an elegant sparkling wine, or a lusciously sweet wine, Chenin Blanc delivers. This is all you need to know about the most versatile wine grape on earth.
Mouthwatering Dry White Wine
When fermented to dryness in stainless steel tanks, Chenin Blanc produces refreshing white wines with scents of pitted fruit, white flowers and hay. These are excellent stand-alone apéritif wines, but they are also compatible with a wide range of foods, from raw seafood and salads to fresh cheese and more complex Mediterranean dishes.
These wines often have a medium-low alcohol content and above-average acidity, making them easy sippers; they also gain complexity from ageing on fine lees for a few months, a technique unique to the Loire Valley. Some of the best regions for this style include Anjou and Jasnieres.
Wine to Try
Domaine Moncourt Roche Noire Chenin Blanc
Rich White Wine
Chenin Blanc has also become the source of some of the most interesting biodynamic wines. Sophisticated wines with a medium body, rustic texture and complex aromas. Some of these wines, such as those from the Savennieres and Coulee de Serrant appellations, have achieved legendary status.
Thanks to extended macerations, the use of wild yeast and a non-interventionist approach in the vineyard and cellar, these wines are amongst the most texturally and aromatically unique in France. They are ideal partners for white meat, poultry and creamy or starchy dishes.
Wine to Try
Domaine de la Ducquerie Clos de Fremine White
Delicious Sweet Wine
When the weather is right, Chenin is prone to be affected by the famous noble rot, botrytis cinerea. This benign fungus dries the grapes, leaving behind sweet, shrivelled fruit. Turned into wine, these grapes become liquid gold.
The Loire Valley is well known for its sweet botrytized wines, especially those made with Chenin. The most famous areas specialising in this style include Vouvray, Coteaux du Layon and Quarts de Chaume. Expect aromas of caramelised fruit and honey along with balancing acidity.
Wine to Try
Domaine de Sainte Anne, Coteaux du Layon
Charming Sparkling Wine
In colder vintages, when even the most resistant grape varieties struggle to ripen, Chenin shows yet another facet — it is a wonderful source of tart grapes to produce world-class sparkling wine.
Mostly made with the traditional method made famous in Champagne, sparkling wine from the Loire, including those labelled Vouvray and Saumur, have an excellent quality/price ratio. Adding to the grape’s variety, you’ll find sparkling wine made with Chenin in all sweetness levels, from Brut styles with remarkable versatility at the table to more honeyed examples worthy of a celebration. Chenin Blanc can do it all.
Wine to Try