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Chenin Blanc
The chameleon of French white grapes; Chenin Blanc can do it all. From crisp, dry style white wine to lusciously sweet dessert, from refreshing bubbles to well-aged whites, there’s nothing it can’t do.
Being so versatile makes Chenin Blanc hard to define, a reason why the noble grape doesn’t share the popularity of equally worthy grapes like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. Still, Chenin is up there with the most astounding French varietals, and it calls the Loire Valley home.
Chenin Blanc buds early and ripens late, making it ideal for creating a wide range of wine styles, from sparkling to dessert wine. The latter's production is susceptible to the famous 'noble rot', abundant in warmer and more humid summers. In cold growing seasons, winemakers make still wine with the grape. When the conditions are even colder, the former (sparkling wine) is in order. When the weather is generous, Chenin Blanc wine becomes liquid gold — some of the most prestigious sweet examples in France.
The History of the Chenin Blanc Grape Variety
Also known as Pineau de la Loire, Chenin Blanc rules the ‘Garden of France’, the Loire Valley, particularly the regions of Anjou, Saumur and Touraine. The grape originated in 845 A.D in the vineyards tended by the Glanfeuil Abbey, and was already a dominant varietal all the way to Touraine by the 15th-century. The grape’s extraordinary quality was and still is a thing of legend.
Considered as noble as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, no varietal is as versatile as Chenin, so it competes in its own category. DNA testing has shown Chenin is the offspring of Jura’s Savagnin and an unknown varietal, and is Sauvignon Blanc’s sibling.
Wine Regions
Saumur is an excellent source for sparkling Chenin, while producers in Anjou might prefer to vinify the grape as a dry white wine. Vouvray might just be the most sophisticated style of Chenin — authentic collector’s items that can vary in sweetness depending on the growing conditions.
Savennières, on the opposite side of the Loire, specialises in dry white Chenin, and the region is known for its bio-dynamic approach and off-hand winemaking practices. Quarts de Chaume, Bonnezeaux and Coteaux du Layon are sweet wine specialists and make the most out of late harvested and botrytis-infected Chenin grapes. Chenin has a massive influence on Loire’s extensive vineyards, particularly as the sparkling Crémant de Loire.
Outside France, it has found a home in South Africa, where it’s called Steen - it’s the country’s flagship white grape, where South African Chenin Blancs are taken as seriously as their French counterparts. There are also significant Chenin plantings in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Spain and even Mexico.
Wine Styles & Tasting Notes
Chenin Blanc is one of the most versatile wine grapes on earth. It has a well-defined acidity that makes it ideal for making sparkling wine - the acidity also balances the wine when vinified as a sweet dessert style.
It can also be fermented in stainless steel and bottled young, but can also spend time in oak barrels to gain body and aromatic complexity - few other white grapes are as compatible with oak as Chenin.
The versatile grape often shows white fruit aromas with green apples and white peaches on the nose, with hints of wildflowers and sometimes wool or hay. Sweeter styles of Chenin Blanc show a honeyed character, and if vinified biodynamically, it can be a bit funky with exciting scents redolent of white mushrooms and hay.
What all Chenin wines have in common is a complex bouquet and a mouth-watering palate. Otherwise, the grape can show completely distinct personalities depending on the weather, vinification and style.
Food Pairings
Chenin Blanc’s versatility is also present at the table. Sparkling Chenin and dry, young styles are fantastic aperitifs. They’re also compatible with a wide range of light food, white fish and seafood.
Aged Chenin can tackle white meat, including poultry and pork, with ease, and it won’t disappoint with creamy sauces. Finally, Chenin’s sweet styles are decadent and a treat on their own but can complement a slightly sweet dessert and certain savoury foods like foie gras.
Once you assess if the bottle of Chenin is young, barrel-aged, sweet or dry, food pairings come easy. Chenin is amongst the most dynamic white grapes food-wise.
