So, Winespeed has taken up my campaign to give Chenin blanc a fair chance on your dinner table.  I enjoy it with seafood, pasta, cheese, and fruit.

South Africa accounts for 53% of the world’s total planted acreage of chenin blanc. France grows 28%, primarily in the Loire Valley, and together the U.S. and Argentina split another 15%. For centuries chenin blanc was (and it still remains) South Africa’s most planted grape. Sometimes known there as steen, it was one of the first grapes to arrive on the Cape in the1650s. Historically, far more white grapes than red were grown in South Africa—a reflection of the past importance of cheap South African “sherry” and brandy which were based on white grapes that could be grown at astronomical yields (and consequently little flavor or complexity).

Chenin blanc is also able to retain acidity relatively well in hot climates. Lots of South African chenin blanc is pleasant and simple at best. But treasure troves of old chenin blanc vineyards can still be found, and many young winemakers are dedicated to saving these old vineyards and making amazingly delicious wines—both dry and sweet—from them.

So, what is Chenin blanc?  Chenin Blanc Wine Profile (from Wine Folly)

Pronunciation:“shen-nin blonk”

Chenin Blanc Characteristics

FRUIT: yellow apple, quince, pear, baked apple, bruised apple, passion fruit, lime, honeydew melon, peach, persimmon, mandarin orange
OTHER: lemon verbena, ginger, honey, honeysuckle, jasmine, chamomile, saffron, apple blossom, coleslaw (oxidative styles), sake, cheese rind(oxidative styles), hay
OAK: buttered popcorn, butterscotch, lemon curd, nutmeg, baked apple, graham cracker, meringue, marzipan, brioche
ACIDITY: medium-plus to high acidity
ABV: 12-14.5%South Africa golds over 50% of the world’s Chenin blanc.  Yet, when we were there, the Chenin blanc was rather disappointing.  We tried several, from wine shops in both Cape Town, and out in Stellenbosch.  I have found better ones here on the west coast, particularly in Napa Valley, and Washington.
Chenin Blanc Has a Variety of Flavor Profiles

As a white wine, Chenin Blanc has a wide range of flavors. Part of the reason for this has a lot to do with the winemaking style.

• Dry: When the grapes are fermented dry and kept fresh, they produce a very lean, minerally style Chenin Blanc that offers up flavors of tart pear, quince, ginger, and chamomile.
• Off-Dry: When some of the grapes’ natural sugars are left in the wine, you’ll taste richer flavors of ripe pear, ginger, jasmine, passion fruit, and honeycomb.
• Sweet: Sweeter styles of Chenin Blanc have flavors of dried persimmon, toasted almond, mango, ginger, and mandarin orange.
• Sparkling: Sparkling styles can range from dry (Brut) to sweet (Demi-Sec), with Chenin Blanc’s classic characteristics of quince, yellow apple, plum, ginger, and floral notes.

Chenin Blanc Food Pairings

Think Sweet and Sour. Because of Chenin Blanc’s awesome acidity and inherently sweet flavor, you’ll find it pairs well with foods that have a sweet and sour element. Southeast Asian cuisine or pork chops with apples paired with a richer and sweeter style Chenin Blanc will blow your mind.
 
Hello Turkey Dinner. There are several white wines out there with enough gusto to moisten even the driest turkey. Try a high quality South African Chenin Blanc with your Thanksgiving dinner. It will even handle cranberry sauce like it was born to do so.I have always touted a Chenin blanc or dry Riesling for our Thanksgiving dinner.  I am okay with chardonnays, but have become somewhat tired of their “oakey and buttery” characteristics.
Meat Pairings

Veal, Trout, Chicken, Turkey, Pork Chop, Guinea Foul, Halibut, Smoked Salmon, Terrine, Pâte.  I think liver pate’ might be a great choice!

Spices and Herbs

Cinnamon, Dill, Tarragon, Turmeric, Ginger, Fenugreek, Fennel, Clove, Marjoram, Allspice, Red Pepper Flakes, Cilantro, Cumin, Coriander, Fennel, Macadamia Nut, Peanut, Cashew, Sesame Seed.  I think hot mustard might be a good pairing.

Cheese Pairings

Soft to semi-firm cow’s milk cheeses, such as triple-cream brie, gruyere, cream cheese, yoghurt and cheddar work very well with Chenin Blanc. Also try herb-crusted goat cheeses.  Add one of my favorites, camembert. 

Vegetables & Vegetarian Fare

Squash, Jicama, Guava, Shallot, Chives, Savoy Cabbage, Yam, Carrot, Cauliflower, Oyster Mushroom, Corn, Red Bell Pepper, Apple, Quince, Pear.  I would add carrots, celery, and radishes.

Chenin Blanc Wine Regions

South Africa

The largest producer of Chenin Blanc is South Africa.

In South Africa, Chenin Blanc is sometimes blended with Semillon, Viognier, and Marsanne to make a richer-styled wine similar to an oaked Chardonnay but with a sweeter taste. Also in South Africa, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc are blended to create a fresh and zesty dry wine.

Loire Valley, France

In the cooler Loire Valley of France, the ripeness of Chenin Blanc can be so uneven that grapes are usually selected by hand in successive passes through the vineyard.

Highly acidic, less ripe grapes make a great base for sparkling wines.

Riper grapes are used in the richly aromatic, off-dry styles.

BTW, I love the Loire region, mostly for their cremants.

Finally, at the end of the harvest season, the last grapes picked are affected with noble rot, which concentrates the grapes’ sugars and lends to rich flavors of orange marmalade, ginger, and saffron. These late harvest grapes go into the blending of the famous sweet wines of the region, including Quarts de Chaume and Bonnezeaux.

This is more than you ever wanted to know about Chenin blanc.  But I suggest you give it a try.  You might be pleasantly surprised.

About the only promise I can make for 2021 is more wine information.  I have really enjoyed learning more about wine, the vines, and the various countries that produce wine.

Who is the parent? (per Winespeed):  DNA fingerprinting at the University of California, Davis in the late 1990s identified gouais blanc (goo-AY blahnk) as one of the ancient “founder varieties.” As such, it is a parent or grandparent to at least 81 distinct western European grape varieties including such disparate varieties as chardonnay, riesling, muscadelle, blaufränkisch, and colombard. Derived from the old French adjective “gou”—a term of derision befitting its traditional status as the grape of the peasants—gouais blanc is considered neutral to the point of mediocrity. Extremely little wine is produced from gouais blanc today, in fact it’s no longer even cultivated in France, where it originated. However, an impressive sweet wine is made from it in the Rutherglen region of Victoria, Australia by Chambers Rosewood Winery from 100+ year-old vines.

Reminds me of my visit to Sauterne:  The furry gray mold-covered grapes that make Sauternes may look like miniature mice, but that Botrytis cinerea mold (also known as pourriturenoble or noble rot) is not washed off or in any other way removed before fermentation. In fact, it contributes to a Sauternes’ flavor—and not in a way that seems like something left too long in the back of the refrigerator. Botrytis adds an extra dimension, sometimes described as being faintly like sweet corn or mushrooms, to the overall complexity of the wines. The influence of Botrytis actually begins in the vineyard, as the beneficial mold punctures the grapes’ skins in search of water to germinate its spores, the water begins to evaporate and the grapes dehydrate. Inside the shriveled berries, the sugar in the juice becomes progressively more concentrated. The botrytis also alters the structure of the grapes’ acids, but the amount of acidity in the wine is not diminished—of crucial importance to balance the heightened sweetness in the finished wine. (from Winespeed).  While Sauterne is not one of my favorites, the region has great food, namely bread, cheese, and other Bordeauxs.

What about moscato?    Sixty seven% of moscato d’Asti is exported from Italy to the U.S., the leading market for the wine globally by a wide margin. Tradition in Italy calls for drinking at least a well-chilled glass of it on Christmas morning. The wine—delicate, lightly sweet, and gorgeously fruity—is particularly low in alcohol: 4.5% to 5.5%. Considered superior to Asti spumante, moscato d’Asti is not fully sparkling, just a tiny bit frizzante (fizzy). It is made from muscat blanc à petits grains grapes and is a specialty of Piedmont.
What is the most visited winery in the United States?  A winery in Napa or Sonoma, Central Cost, or Oregon?
The Biltmore Winery is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the estate of George Vanderbilt, grandson of famed industrialist and philanthropist Cornelius Vanderbilt. Officially opened to Vanderbilt’s friends and family on Christmas Day, 1895, the Biltmore Estate was donated to the public by his daughter in 1930. Today, approximately 1.5 million visitors come to the estate annually to walk the more than four acres of floor space, including 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces. The estate reports that slightly fewer than half of those visitors make it over to the winery and tasting room, located in the original 1900 dairy barn.

Winemaker Sharon Fenchak notes, ”Since we’re in the Southeast, sometimes we are the first winery people ever visit.” Vanderbilt’s grandson, William A.V. Cecil, planted vineyards with French-American hybrid grapes on the estate in the early 1970s, and opened the winery in 1985. Today, wines are produced from 150 acres of chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and petit manseng from the property as well as grapes sourced from the West Coast.  I was there last year, but the Estate was closed while I was in Asheville.

Can you believe only 14 states, plus Washington D.C. allow wine shipments from out-of-state wine retailers, compared to 45 that accept shipments from out-of-state wine producers. U.S. consumers must purchase imported wines through retailers (versus direct from the winery). States that ban shipments from out-of-state retailers limit consumer access to all the other wondrous wines of the world. For more information or to write your legislator, visit Free the Grapes.

Everyone seems optimistic about 2021, perhaps due to the vaccine, perhaps due to a new Administration in DC.  Whatever the reason, let’s also keep trying new and different wines, and share the information.

One of my avid readers has forwarded a great wine story.  During this pandemic, with restaurants and bars closing, a local Seattle business packages three different cases of wine.  You can choose mixed cases of whites, reds, or sparklings, and a three different price points.  I am told the wines are both inventive, and a great bargain.  What a great idea.