Chenin Blanc
Encyclopedia
Chenin blanc is a white wine
grape variety from the Loire valley
of France. Its high acidity means it can be used to make everything from sparkling wine
s to well-balanced dessert wine
s, although it can produce very bland, neutral wines if the vine's natural vigor is not controlled. Outside the Loire it is found in most of the New World wine
regions; it is the most widely planted variety in South Africa
, where it is also known as Steen. The grape may have been one of the first to be grown in South Africa by Jan van Riebeeck
in 1655, or it may have come to that country with Huguenots fleeing France after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes
in 1685. Chenin Blanc was often misidentified in Australia as well, so tracing its early history in the country is not easy. It may have been introduced in James Busby
's collection of 1832, but C. Waterhouse was growing Steen at Highercombe in Houghton
, South Australia
by 1862.
It provides a fairly neutral palate for the expression of terroir
, vintage
variation and the winemaker
's treatment. In cool areas the juice is sweet but high in acid with a full-bodied fruity palate. In the unreliable summers of northern France, the acidity of under ripened grapes was often masked with chaptalization
with unsatisfactory results, whereas now the less ripe grapes are made into popular sparkling wines such as Crémant de Loire. The white wines of the Anjou AOC are perhaps the best expression of Chenin as a dry wine, with flavors of quince
and apples. In nearby Vouvray AOC they aim for an off-dry style, developing honey and floral characteristics with age. In the best vintages the grapes can be left on the vines to develop noble rot
, producing an intense, viscous dessert wine which may improve considerably with age.
The French ampelographer Pierre Galet
has theorized that Chenin blanc originated in the Anjou wine
region sometime in the 9th century and from there traveled to Touraine
by at least the 15th century. It was first mentioned in 845 the records of the abbey of Glanfeuil as growing on the left bank of the Loire river. Chenin Blanc probably originated as a mutant of the Pineau d'Aunis
(Chenin Noir) in Anjou. In 1445 it was planted in near a site known as Mont Chenin in Touraine by the Lord of Chenonceaux
and his brother in law, the abbot of Cormery
. Ampelographers believe that this is the likely origin of the grape's name. It then migrated throughout the Loire valley and later the Rhône. The French writer François Rabelais
(1494–1553) wrote glowingly about the white wines of Anjou, and mentions the medicinal qualities of the grapes at the end of chapter XXV of Gargantua:
From France the grape spread to South Africa
where it was most likely included among the vine cuttings sent to Jan van Riebeeck in the Cape Colony
by the Dutch East India Company
. In the 20th century it was discovered that a sub-variety of Chenin planted in the Loire was not actually Chenin blanc at all but rather the grape Verdelho
which is banned from French AOC regulations in the Loire. In 1999, DNA profiling conducted by ampelographers in Austria
suggested that Chenin blanc may be a parent of Sauvignon blanc
.
The Chenin blanc grapevine
buds early in the growing season and ripens late-traits that would make the vine more ideal in warmer climates rather than the cool Loire Valley. However, in warm years, the balance between the Loire's marginal climate and the warmth needed to attain full ripeness has the potential of producing wines with some depth of complexity and finesse. In recent years, new clonal varieties have developed that delays budding and increases sugar development during the ripening phase with six of these clones being officially sanctioned by the French government. The vine is semi-upright in habit with 3-5 lobed leaves. It tends to break bud early, and the conical, winged bunches contain yellow-green grapes that ripen late. The berries are typically 16.0 mm long x 14.2 mm wide, with an average weight of 1.79g. The age of the vine can have an influence on wine quality with older vines producing naturally lower yields and when infected by noble rot
(which also lowers yields and adds and intensifies certain flavors), producing wines with less overtly floral aroma notes but more depth and layers.
The climate of a wine region will largely dictate whether Chenin blanc is produced in a predominately sweet or dry manner, while the vineyard soil type will generally influence the overall style of the wine. Heavy clay
based soils, paired with the right climate, is favorable to the development of weighty, botrytized dessert wines that need times to age and mature. Well-drained and less organic, predominately sand
y soils tend to produce lighter styles of wine that mature more quickly. Chenin blanc planted in soils with a high silex
content will produce wines with distinctive minerally noted while limestone
based soils will encourages wines with sharp acidity. In Vouvray the soil is predominately argilo-calcaire or calcareous clay which produces rounded wines with both acidity and weight. In areas where schist
is plentiful in the soil, Chenin blanc grapes will generally ripen earlier than in vineyards with predominately clay based soils.
While true for most wine grape varieties, the quality of Chenin blanc wine is intimately connected to the care taken in the vineyard. If the grapes are harvested too soon, before they ripen, the high acidity of the resulting wine will be (according to wine expert Oz Clarke
) "one of the nastiest wines possible". If the grapes are harvested at too high of yields, the grapes will not retain any of Chenin blanc's distinctive character notes. In the Loire, French regulations mandate that yields be kept low to 40-50hl/ha. At these levels more of Chenin blanc's varietal characteristics of floral, honeyed aromas can exhibited. When the grape is harvested at high yields, such as the California Central Valley
average of 10 tons per acre (175 hl/ha), Chenin's flavors become more bland and neutral. The vine is naturally vigorous and prone to overcropping if not kept in check. In fertile soils, such as those of some parts of South Africa, Chenin blanc can easily produce yields of 240 hl/ha. To keep yields in check, vineyard managers may choose to graft Chenin vines with less vigorous rootstock
from Vitis riparia
or Vitis rupestris
vines. During the growing season, they may also elect to do a green harvest where excess grape clusters are removed.
With optimal ripeness and balance between acidity and sugars being such a viticultural priority for Chenin blanc, many growers (such as those in the Loire Valley) will harvest the grapes in tries or successive pickings through the vineyards. During each series of picking only the ripest clusters or individual grapes are harvested by hand during a period that could last four to six weeks and include three to six passes through the vineyard. For the production of sweet botrytized wines, pickers will look for the grapes that have achieved the necessary amount of the noble rot
. In hot and dry years where no noble rot occurs, pickers may leave ripen grapes on the vine long enough to shrivel or passerillé where it could later be effected by noble rot. In areas that experience a lot of vintage
variation, winemakers may decide on a day by day basis what style and dryness of Chenin blanc that could make with the grapes harvested during eeach tries going to different styles of wine. For some producers in Vouvray, which may have up to six tries during harvest, the first few tries could go to sparkling and dry wine production while the later tries could go towards sweet wine production.
Wine expert Jancis Robinson
has noted that Chenin blanc is probably the world's most versatile grape being able to produce quality wines of various sweetness, including dessert wine
s noted for their aging ability, as well as sparkling made according to the méthode champenoise and fortified wine
s. The grape can distinguish itself as a single varietal
wine or it can add acidity as a blending component. Its ability to be crafted into premium quality wines across a wide spectrum of dry and sweetness levels invites the comparison to German Riesling
s-with Robinson noting that in many ways Chenin blanc is France's answer to the German Riesling.
One of the major differences between Old world and New world styles of Chenin blanc is the fermentation
temperature. Old World style producers in the Loire tend to ferment their Chenin blanc at higher temperatures, 60-68°F (16-20°C), than New World producers in South Africa and elsewhere which usually ferments their whites at temperatures around 50-54°F (10-12°C). This is because Old World wine producer tend not to put a premium on the tropical fruit flavors and aromas that come out more vividly with cooler fermentation temperatures. Chenin blanc can accommodate some skin contact and maceration
which will allow extraction of phenolic compounds that could add to the complexity of the wine. Two of the aromas that skin contact can bring out is the characteristic greengage
and angelica
notes of Chenin. The grape's characteristic acidity can be softened by malolactic fermentation
which will give the wine a creamier or "fattier" texture as would a period spent aging on the lees. The use of wood or oak aging is up to each individual producer. Old World producers tend to shy away from the use of new oak barrels which can impart flavors of vanilla
, spice
and toastiness-though these notes maybe desirable for a New World producer. In Savennières
there is a tradition of using acacia
and chestnut
barrels for aging though acacia can impart a yellow tint to the wine and chestnut barrels may add some buttery notes.
". In the Loire Valley of France it is prized as a premium quality wine grape able to produce world class wines while in many New World wine
regions it used as a "workhorse variety", contributing acidity to bulk white blends and showing more neutral flavors rather than terroir. Throughout all its manifestations, Chenin blanc's characteristic acidity is found almost universally in all wine regions.
Ampelographers
theorize that Chenin blanc originated in the Loire Valley
of France sometime in the 9th century. Today the Loire is the French wine
region most closely associated with the variety. Chenin blanc is an authorized planting in many Appellation d'origine contrôlée
(AOC) regions but is mostly planted in the Middle Loire AOCs of Anjou, Bonnezeaux, Crémant de Loire, Coteaux de l'Aubance, Coteaux du Layon, Jasnières, Montlouis, Quarts de Chaume, Saumur, Savennières and Vouvray. The wines of the Coteaux du Layon, Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume are produced as sweet dessert wines, while Savennières produces predominately dry wines. The wines of Anjou, Crémant de Loire, Coteaux de l'Aubance, Jasnières, Montlouis, Saumur and Vouvray produces have a wide range of sweetness levels from dry to semi-sweet to sweet. While most Chenin blanc is produced as a varietal wine, up to 20% of Chardonnay
and Sauvignon blanc
are permitted in wines with the basic Anjou, Saumur and Touraine designations. The high acidity of Chenin blancs lends itself well to sparkling wine production
where it is an important component of Crémant de Loire, sparkling Vouvray and in the Languedoc wine
region of Limoux where it is blended with Mauzac
and Chardonnay
. Outside of the Loire, other French plantings of Chenin blanc can be found in Corsica, the Languedoc, Charentes and the Aveyron
department.
In the 1970s, plantings of Chenin blanc in the Loire was uprooted in favor of the more fashionable red Cabernet Franc
and white Sauvignon blanc
as well as the easier-to-grow Gamay
. This consolidated Chenin's presence to the Middle Loire region around Anjou-Saumur and Touraine
. In the 1980s, interest in the sweet dessert wines of the Loire renewed enthusiasm for Chenin blanc in the region. During this time the Bordeaux wine
region of Sauternes
had experienced a series of favorable vintages that saw a dramatic increase in prices as supply began to dwindle in face of high demand. Wine consumers who had developed an appreciation for these sweet wines began to look to the Loire as another source. The 1990s brought a string successful vintages to the Middle Loire that produced many highly rated Chenin wines affected by noble rot
. As wine expert Oz Clarke noted, these wines became the "standard-bearer
" for Chenin blanc.
The climate of the wine region tends to dictate what style of Chenin blanc is most prevalent in the area. In the northernmost reaches of Jasnières, Chenin blanc is at its limits for cultivation with the wines being mostly dry and thin. While most of the Middle Loire experience a continental climate, the Coteaux du Layon receives more climatic influence from the Atlantic Ocean
which promotes the development of Botrytis cinerea
than in nearby Vouvray or Montlouis. While all three AOC produce sweet, botrytized wine there tends to be less vintage variation in the Coteaux du Layon. The cool continental influences of Montlouis and Vouvray lends itself to producing a wide range of Chenin blanc including grapes with the necessary balance of acidity to sugar needed to produced sparkling wine. In the AOC of Savennières, there is less fog and mist from the nearby rivers and lots of wind that makes it difficult for botrytis to take root. This part of the reason why Savennières is the one Loire AOC that produced predominately dry Chenin blanc. In the south of France, the warm Mediterranean climate of the Languedoc region encourages the production of much more dry styles of Chenin blanc rather sweet.
In South Africa
, Chenin blanc is the most widely planted variety—accounting for nearly one-fifth of all vineyard plantings in the early 21st century. The variety was most likely introduced to the country in the collection of vine cuttings sent to Jan van Riebeeck
by the Dutch East India Company
. For the next couple hundred years of South African wine history, the variety was known as Steen. It wasn't till 1965 that ampelographers were able to concretely identify the numerous plantings of Steen around the country as being Chenin blanc. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Chenin blanc was the principal grape in the "white wine renaissance
" of the South African wine industry that was ushered in by the introduction of new technologies such as temperature controlled fermentation
vessels. During this time the focus was on producing off-dry, clean and crisp wine that was mostly neutral in flavor that could capitalize on the wine market's demand for white wine. Near the end of the century, several Chenin blanc specialist producers emerged that worked with vineyard managers to isolate older Chenin vines on suitable terroir that could produce wines that exhibit Chenin's unique aromas and trait. While plantings of Chenin blanc have decreased in recent years, the work of these producers has risen the quality profile of South African Chenin blanc. The majority of Chenin blanc in South Africa is planted in the Stellenbosch, Paarl
and Worcester regions with Malmesbury in Swartland
also having sizable plantings.
industry had more acreage of Chenin blanc planted than France-in recent years the numbers of plantings have steadily declined. By 2006, there were 13000 acres (5,260.9 ha) planted mostly in the hot Central Valley. For most of its history in the California wine industry, the grape was considered as "workhorse variety" that could be used anonymously in bulk and jug wine
blends. Chenin's natural acidity and ability to adapt to wines of varying degrees of sweetness made it an ideal blending partner with Colombard
and Chardonnay
in these mass produced blends. It wasn't till close to the turn of the century that producers in the Clarksburg AVA
in the Sacramento Valley
started to make quality varietal Chenin blancs a specialty. Clarksburg designated Chenin blancs from these producers tend to show a characteristic musky melon aroma and have the potential to age well.
While Chenin blanc is grown throughout the United States, the American Viticultural Areas with the most significant amount of plantings include the California AVAs of Clarksburg, Napa Valley and Mendocino, the Washington wine regions of the Yakima
and Columbia Valley and the Texas High Plains AVA
. Other states in the United States with plantings of Chenin blanc include New York, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Arizona, New Mexico, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Idaho and Texas. In 1990 there was 44 acres (17.8 ha) of Chenin blanc planted in Oregon but by 2001 virtually all of it had been uprooted with only a few isolated plantings left.
. Australia Chenin plantings can be found in Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia as well as the Swan Valley and Margaret River
area of Western Australia
. Wine expert James Halliday describes the style of Australia Chenin blanc as "tutti-frutti" with pronounced fruit salad
notes. However the wines produced in Western Australia have been garnering more critical attention. In New Zealand, acreage of the variety has fallen to just under 250 acres (101.2 ha) by 2004. Planted primarily in the North Island
, some examples of New Zealand Chenin blanc have drawn favorable comparisons to the sweet dessert styles Chenin from the Loire Valley. Historically the grape has been used as a blending partner with Müller-Thurgau
in mass produced blends. The success of some critically acclaimed New Zealand Chenin blanc has sparked interest in planting the variety however, as experts such as Oz Clarke have noted, as long as the value of New Zealand Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc stays high there is little economic reason to pursue premium Chenin blanc production.
The grape was exported to Israel in the 19th century where it still found in limited quantities. Chenin blanc is found planted throughout Mexico
and South America
, though for many years plantings in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil
and Uruguay
were confused for Pinot Blanc
. The grape used primarily in mass produced white blends. Canada has Chenin blanc planted in the Okanagan wine region of British Columbia and in Ontario. Some plantings of Chenin blanc can be found in the Spanish wine regions
of Catalonia, Aragon and Navarra.
The aromas and flavor notes of Chenin blanc often include the descriptors of minerally, greengage
, angelica
and honey
. Chenin wines produced from noble rot will often have notes of peach
es and honey
that develop into barley sugar
, marzipan
and quince
as they age. Dry or semi-sweet Chenin blanc from the Loire will often have notes apple, greengage and chalk
y minerals that develop into more honey, acacia and quince aromas. New World styles of Chenin, such as those of South Africa, are more often made to be consume young and exhibit rich tropical fruit notes such as banana
, guava
, pear
and pineapple
. The alcohol level for dessert styles Chenin rarely go above 12% which keeps the wines more in balance. Drier styles of Chenin are more likely to be around 13.5%.
The age ability of sweet Loire Chenin blanc is among the longest lived in the world of wine with well-made examples from favorable vintages regularly having the potential to last for at least 100 years. This longevity is attributed to the grape's naturally high acidity which acts as a preservative as the phenolic compounds in the wine
breakdown, adding complexity and depth to the wine. Some off dry or "demi-sec" examples may need at least 10 years before they start drinking at peak levels and could continue to develop for another 20 to 30 years. Sparkling and dry examples of Chenin blanc from premium production and favorable vintages have also shown longevity levels not commonly associated with white wine. Chenin blanc wines are prone to going through "dumb phases" as it ages where the wine closes up, revealing little aroma and varietal characteristics.
Chenin blanc can be a very versatile player in food and wine pairings but the wide range of wine styles needs to be taken into account. Lighter, dry styles can pair well with light dishes such as salad
s, fish and chicken. The sweeter styles Chenin blanc can balance the spicy heat of some Asian and Hispanic cuisines. The acidity and balance of medium-dry styles can pair well with cream sauces and rich dishes like pâté
.
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
grape variety from the Loire valley
Loire Valley (wine)
The Loire Valley wine region includes the French wine regions situated along the Loire River from the Muscadet region near the city of Nantes on the Atlantic coast to the region of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé just southeast of the city of Orléans in north central France. In between are the regions of...
of France. Its high acidity means it can be used to make everything from sparkling wine
Sparkling wine
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the méthode champenoise, in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved , or as a result of carbon dioxide...
s to well-balanced dessert wine
Dessert wine
Dessert wines are sweet wines typically served with dessert.There is no simple definition of a dessert wine. In the UK, a dessert wine is considered to be any sweet wine drunk with a meal, as opposed to the white fortified wines drunk before the meal, and the red fortified wines drunk after it...
s, although it can produce very bland, neutral wines if the vine's natural vigor is not controlled. Outside the Loire it is found in most of the New World wine
New World wine
New World wines are those wines produced outside the traditional wine-growing areas of Europe, in particular from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States.-Early wines in the Americas:...
regions; it is the most widely planted variety in South Africa
South African wine
South African wine has a history dating back to 1659, and at one time Constantia was considered one of the greatest wines in the world. Access to international markets has unleashed a burst of new energy and new investment. Production is concentrated around Cape Town, with major vineyard and...
, where it is also known as Steen. The grape may have been one of the first to be grown in South Africa by Jan van Riebeeck
Jan van Riebeeck
Johan Anthoniszoon "Jan" van Riebeeck was a Dutch colonial administrator and founder of Cape Town.-Biography:...
in 1655, or it may have come to that country with Huguenots fleeing France after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes
Edict of Nantes
The Edict of Nantes, issued on 13 April 1598, by Henry IV of France, granted the Calvinist Protestants of France substantial rights in a nation still considered essentially Catholic. In the Edict, Henry aimed primarily to promote civil unity...
in 1685. Chenin Blanc was often misidentified in Australia as well, so tracing its early history in the country is not easy. It may have been introduced in James Busby
James Busby
James Busby is widely regarded as the "father" of the Australian wine industry, as he took the first collection of vine stock from Spain and France to Australia. Later he become a British Resident who traveled to New Zealand, involved in the drafting of the Declaration of the Independence of New...
's collection of 1832, but C. Waterhouse was growing Steen at Highercombe in Houghton
Houghton, South Australia
Houghton is a small town near Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the Adelaide Hills, in the City of Tea Tree Gully and the Adelaide Hills Council local government areas between Tea Tree Gully and Inglewood on the North East Road.-History:...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
by 1862.
It provides a fairly neutral palate for the expression of terroir
Terroir
Terroir comes from the word terre "land". It was originally a French term in wine, coffee and tea used to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties...
, vintage
Vintage
Vintage, in wine-making, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product . A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certain wines, it can denote quality, as in Port wine, where Port houses make and...
variation and the winemaker
Winemaker
A winemaker or vintner is a person engaged in winemaking. They are generally employed by wineries or wine companies, where their work includes:*Cooperating with viticulturists...
's treatment. In cool areas the juice is sweet but high in acid with a full-bodied fruity palate. In the unreliable summers of northern France, the acidity of under ripened grapes was often masked with chaptalization
Chaptalization
Chaptalization is the process of adding sugar to unfermented grape must in order to increase the alcohol content after fermentation. The technique is named after its developer, the French chemist Jean-Antoine-Claude Chaptal...
with unsatisfactory results, whereas now the less ripe grapes are made into popular sparkling wines such as Crémant de Loire. The white wines of the Anjou AOC are perhaps the best expression of Chenin as a dry wine, with flavors of quince
Quince
The quince , or Cydonia oblonga, is the sole member of the genus Cydonia and native to warm-temperate southwest Asia in the Caucasus region...
and apples. In nearby Vouvray AOC they aim for an off-dry style, developing honey and floral characteristics with age. In the best vintages the grapes can be left on the vines to develop noble rot
Noble rot
Noble rot is the benevolent form of a grey fungus, Botrytis cinerea, affecting wine grapes. Infestation by Botrytis requires moist conditions, and if the weather stays wet, the malevolent form, "grey rot", can destroy crops of grapes...
, producing an intense, viscous dessert wine which may improve considerably with age.
History
Pierre Galet
Pierre Galet is a French ampelographer and author who was an influential figure within ampelography in the 20th century and before DNA typing was widely introduced...
has theorized that Chenin blanc originated in the Anjou wine
Anjou wine
Anjou wine is produced in the Loire Valley wine region of France near the city of Angers. The wines of region are often grouped together with the wines of nearby Saumur as "Anjou-Saumur"...
region sometime in the 9th century and from there traveled to Touraine
Touraine
The Touraine is one of the traditional provinces of France. Its capital was Tours. During the political reorganization of French territory in 1790, the Touraine was divided between the departments of Indre-et-Loire, :Loir-et-Cher and Indre.-Geography:...
by at least the 15th century. It was first mentioned in 845 the records of the abbey of Glanfeuil as growing on the left bank of the Loire river. Chenin Blanc probably originated as a mutant of the Pineau d'Aunis
Pineau d'Aunis
Pineau d'Aunis, also known as Chenin noir is a red wine grape variety that is grown primarily in the Loire Valley around Anjou and Touraine. A favorite of Henry Plantagenet, wine made from the grape was first exported to England in the thirteenth century. Today the grape is blended with the white...
(Chenin Noir) in Anjou. In 1445 it was planted in near a site known as Mont Chenin in Touraine by the Lord of Chenonceaux
Chenonceaux
Chenonceaux is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.It is situated in the Loire Valley, about 26 km east of Tours...
and his brother in law, the abbot of Cormery
Cormery
Cormery is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.-See also:*Communes of the Indre-et-Loire departmentIt is located 21 kilometres from Tours and 18 kilometres from Jouè-les-Tours....
. Ampelographers believe that this is the likely origin of the grape's name. It then migrated throughout the Loire valley and later the Rhône. The French writer François Rabelais
François Rabelais
François Rabelais was a major French Renaissance writer, doctor, Renaissance humanist, monk and Greek scholar. He has historically been regarded as a writer of fantasy, satire, the grotesque, bawdy jokes and songs...
(1494–1553) wrote glowingly about the white wines of Anjou, and mentions the medicinal qualities of the grapes at the end of chapter XXV of Gargantua:
This done, the shepherds and shepherdesses made merry with these cakes and fine grapes, and sported themselves together at the sound of the pretty small pipe, scoffing and laughing at those vainglorious cake-bakers, who had that day met with a mischief for want of crossing themselves with a good hand in the morning. Nor did they forget to apply to Forgier's leg some fat chenin grapes, and so handsomely dressed it and bound it up that he was quickly cured.
From France the grape spread to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
where it was most likely included among the vine cuttings sent to Jan van Riebeeck in the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
by the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
. In the 20th century it was discovered that a sub-variety of Chenin planted in the Loire was not actually Chenin blanc at all but rather the grape Verdelho
Verdelho
Verdelho is a white wine grape grown throughout Portugal, though most associated with the island of Madeira, and also gives its name to one of the four main types of Madeira wine...
which is banned from French AOC regulations in the Loire. In 1999, DNA profiling conducted by ampelographers in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
suggested that Chenin blanc may be a parent of Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
.
Viticulture
Vitis
Vitis is a genus of about 60 species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus is made up of species predominantly from the Northern hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, both for direct consumption of the fruit and for fermentation to produce...
buds early in the growing season and ripens late-traits that would make the vine more ideal in warmer climates rather than the cool Loire Valley. However, in warm years, the balance between the Loire's marginal climate and the warmth needed to attain full ripeness has the potential of producing wines with some depth of complexity and finesse. In recent years, new clonal varieties have developed that delays budding and increases sugar development during the ripening phase with six of these clones being officially sanctioned by the French government. The vine is semi-upright in habit with 3-5 lobed leaves. It tends to break bud early, and the conical, winged bunches contain yellow-green grapes that ripen late. The berries are typically 16.0 mm long x 14.2 mm wide, with an average weight of 1.79g. The age of the vine can have an influence on wine quality with older vines producing naturally lower yields and when infected by noble rot
Noble rot
Noble rot is the benevolent form of a grey fungus, Botrytis cinerea, affecting wine grapes. Infestation by Botrytis requires moist conditions, and if the weather stays wet, the malevolent form, "grey rot", can destroy crops of grapes...
(which also lowers yields and adds and intensifies certain flavors), producing wines with less overtly floral aroma notes but more depth and layers.
The climate of a wine region will largely dictate whether Chenin blanc is produced in a predominately sweet or dry manner, while the vineyard soil type will generally influence the overall style of the wine. Heavy clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
based soils, paired with the right climate, is favorable to the development of weighty, botrytized dessert wines that need times to age and mature. Well-drained and less organic, predominately sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
y soils tend to produce lighter styles of wine that mature more quickly. Chenin blanc planted in soils with a high silex
Silex
Silex is any of various forms of ground stone. In modern contexts the word refers to a finely ground, nearly pure form of silica or silicate....
content will produce wines with distinctive minerally noted while limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
based soils will encourages wines with sharp acidity. In Vouvray the soil is predominately argilo-calcaire or calcareous clay which produces rounded wines with both acidity and weight. In areas where schist
Schist
The schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
is plentiful in the soil, Chenin blanc grapes will generally ripen earlier than in vineyards with predominately clay based soils.
Yields and harvest times
Oz Clarke
Robert "Oz" Clarke is a British wine writer, television presenter and broadcaster.-Biography:Clarke’s parents were a chest physician and a nursing sister. He was brought up near Canterbury with a brother and a sister. Clarke became a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral and subsequently won a choral...
) "one of the nastiest wines possible". If the grapes are harvested at too high of yields, the grapes will not retain any of Chenin blanc's distinctive character notes. In the Loire, French regulations mandate that yields be kept low to 40-50hl/ha. At these levels more of Chenin blanc's varietal characteristics of floral, honeyed aromas can exhibited. When the grape is harvested at high yields, such as the California Central Valley
California Central Valley
California's Central Valley is a large, flat valley that dominates the central portion of California. It is home to California's most productive agricultural efforts. The valley stretches approximately from northwest to southeast inland and parallel to the Pacific Ocean coast. Its northern half is...
average of 10 tons per acre (175 hl/ha), Chenin's flavors become more bland and neutral. The vine is naturally vigorous and prone to overcropping if not kept in check. In fertile soils, such as those of some parts of South Africa, Chenin blanc can easily produce yields of 240 hl/ha. To keep yields in check, vineyard managers may choose to graft Chenin vines with less vigorous rootstock
Rootstock
A rootstock is a plant, and sometimes just the stump, which already has an established, healthy root system, used for grafting a cutting or budding from another plant. The tree part being grafted onto the rootstock is usually called the scion...
from Vitis riparia
Vitis riparia
Vitis riparia Michx, also commonly known as River Bank Grape or Frost Grape, is a native American climbing or trailing vine, widely distributed from Quebec to Texas, and Montana to New England. It is long-lived and capable of reaching into the upper canopy of the tallest trees...
or Vitis rupestris
Vitis rupestris
Vitis rupestris is a kind of grape native to the Southern and Western United States that is known by many common names including July, sand, sugar, beach, bush, currant, ingar, rock, and mountain grape. It is used for breeding several French-American hybrids as well as many root stocks. ...
vines. During the growing season, they may also elect to do a green harvest where excess grape clusters are removed.
With optimal ripeness and balance between acidity and sugars being such a viticultural priority for Chenin blanc, many growers (such as those in the Loire Valley) will harvest the grapes in tries or successive pickings through the vineyards. During each series of picking only the ripest clusters or individual grapes are harvested by hand during a period that could last four to six weeks and include three to six passes through the vineyard. For the production of sweet botrytized wines, pickers will look for the grapes that have achieved the necessary amount of the noble rot
Noble rot
Noble rot is the benevolent form of a grey fungus, Botrytis cinerea, affecting wine grapes. Infestation by Botrytis requires moist conditions, and if the weather stays wet, the malevolent form, "grey rot", can destroy crops of grapes...
. In hot and dry years where no noble rot occurs, pickers may leave ripen grapes on the vine long enough to shrivel or passerillé where it could later be effected by noble rot. In areas that experience a lot of vintage
Vintage
Vintage, in wine-making, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product . A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certain wines, it can denote quality, as in Port wine, where Port houses make and...
variation, winemakers may decide on a day by day basis what style and dryness of Chenin blanc that could make with the grapes harvested during eeach tries going to different styles of wine. For some producers in Vouvray, which may have up to six tries during harvest, the first few tries could go to sparkling and dry wine production while the later tries could go towards sweet wine production.
Winemaking and wine styles
Jancis Robinson
Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, MW is a British wine critic, journalist and editor of wine literature. She currently writes a weekly column for the Financial Times, and writes for her website jancisrobinson.com...
has noted that Chenin blanc is probably the world's most versatile grape being able to produce quality wines of various sweetness, including dessert wine
Dessert wine
Dessert wines are sweet wines typically served with dessert.There is no simple definition of a dessert wine. In the UK, a dessert wine is considered to be any sweet wine drunk with a meal, as opposed to the white fortified wines drunk before the meal, and the red fortified wines drunk after it...
s noted for their aging ability, as well as sparkling made according to the méthode champenoise and fortified wine
Fortified wine
Fortified wine is wine to which a distilled beverage has been added. Fortified wine is distinguished from spirits made from wine in that spirits are produced by means of distillation, while fortified wine is simply wine that has had a spirit added to it...
s. The grape can distinguish itself as a single varietal
Varietal
"Varietal" describes wines made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label. Examples of grape varieties commonly used in varietal wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot...
wine or it can add acidity as a blending component. Its ability to be crafted into premium quality wines across a wide spectrum of dry and sweetness levels invites the comparison to German Riesling
Riesling
Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines. Riesling wines are usually varietally...
s-with Robinson noting that in many ways Chenin blanc is France's answer to the German Riesling.
One of the major differences between Old world and New world styles of Chenin blanc is the fermentation
Fermentation (wine)
The process of fermentation in wine turns grape juice into an alcoholic beverage. During fermentation, yeast interact with sugars in the juice to create ethanol, commonly known as ethyl alcohol, and carbon dioxide...
temperature. Old World style producers in the Loire tend to ferment their Chenin blanc at higher temperatures, 60-68°F (16-20°C), than New World producers in South Africa and elsewhere which usually ferments their whites at temperatures around 50-54°F (10-12°C). This is because Old World wine producer tend not to put a premium on the tropical fruit flavors and aromas that come out more vividly with cooler fermentation temperatures. Chenin blanc can accommodate some skin contact and maceration
Maceration (wine)
Maceration is the winemaking process where the phenolic materials of the grape— tannins, coloring agents and flavor compounds— are leached from the grape skins, seeds and stems into the must. Maceration is the process by which the red wine receives its red color, since 99% of all grape juice is...
which will allow extraction of phenolic compounds that could add to the complexity of the wine. Two of the aromas that skin contact can bring out is the characteristic greengage
Greengage
The greengages, also known as the Reine Claudes, are the edible drupaceous fruits of a cultivar group of the common European plum. The first true greengage was bred in Moissac, France, from a green-fruited wild plum originally found in Asia Minor; the original greengage cultivar nowadays survives...
and angelica
Angelica
Angelica is a genus of about 60 species of tall biennial and perennial herbs in the family Apiaceae, native to temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, reaching as far North as Iceland and Lapland...
notes of Chenin. The grape's characteristic acidity can be softened by malolactic fermentation
Malolactic fermentation
Malolactic fermentation is a process in winemaking where tart-tasting malic acid, naturally present in grape must, is converted to softer-tasting lactic acid. Malolactic fermentation tends to create a rounder, fuller mouthfeel. It has been said that malic acid tastes of green apples...
which will give the wine a creamier or "fattier" texture as would a period spent aging on the lees. The use of wood or oak aging is up to each individual producer. Old World producers tend to shy away from the use of new oak barrels which can impart flavors of vanilla
Vanilla
Vanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla, primarily from the Mexican species, Flat-leaved Vanilla . The word vanilla derives from the Spanish word "", little pod...
, spice
Spice
A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for flavor, color, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth. It may be used to flavour a dish or to hide other flavours...
and toastiness-though these notes maybe desirable for a New World producer. In Savennières
Savennières
Savennières is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.It lies near the Loire River south west of Angers and is best known for its production of highly-rated white wine....
there is a tradition of using acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
and chestnut
Chestnut
Chestnut , some species called chinkapin or chinquapin, is a genus of eight or nine species of deciduous trees and shrubs in the beech family Fagaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.-Species:The chestnut belongs to the...
barrels for aging though acacia can impart a yellow tint to the wine and chestnut barrels may add some buttery notes.
Wine regions
While Chenin blanc is planted across the globe from China to New Zealand to Canada and Argentina, it is considered a "major" planting in only a few locations. Though France is the viticultural home of Chenin blanc, by the turn of the 21st century there was twice as much Chenin blanc planted in South Africa as there was in France. The grapes' versatility and ability to reflect terroir causes it to lead, what Jancis Robinson describes as, a "double lifeDouble Life
Double Life is a 2-CD compilation album of songs by Värttinä. It includes the entire 6.12 live album, and songs from studio albums Seleniko, Aitara and Ilmatar...
". In the Loire Valley of France it is prized as a premium quality wine grape able to produce world class wines while in many New World wine
New World wine
New World wines are those wines produced outside the traditional wine-growing areas of Europe, in particular from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States.-Early wines in the Americas:...
regions it used as a "workhorse variety", contributing acidity to bulk white blends and showing more neutral flavors rather than terroir. Throughout all its manifestations, Chenin blanc's characteristic acidity is found almost universally in all wine regions.
France
Ampelography
Ampelography is the field of botany concerned with the identification and classification of grapevines, Vitis spp. Traditionally this has been done by comparing the shape and colour of the vine leaves and grape berries; more recently the study of vines has been revolutionised by DNA...
theorize that Chenin blanc originated in the Loire Valley
Loire Valley (wine)
The Loire Valley wine region includes the French wine regions situated along the Loire River from the Muscadet region near the city of Nantes on the Atlantic coast to the region of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé just southeast of the city of Orléans in north central France. In between are the regions of...
of France sometime in the 9th century. Today the Loire is the French wine
French wine
French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France has the world's second-largest total vineyard area, behind Spain, and is in the position of being the world's largest wine producer...
region most closely associated with the variety. Chenin blanc is an authorized planting in many Appellation d'origine contrôlée
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
(AOC) regions but is mostly planted in the Middle Loire AOCs of Anjou, Bonnezeaux, Crémant de Loire, Coteaux de l'Aubance, Coteaux du Layon, Jasnières, Montlouis, Quarts de Chaume, Saumur, Savennières and Vouvray. The wines of the Coteaux du Layon, Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume are produced as sweet dessert wines, while Savennières produces predominately dry wines. The wines of Anjou, Crémant de Loire, Coteaux de l'Aubance, Jasnières, Montlouis, Saumur and Vouvray produces have a wide range of sweetness levels from dry to semi-sweet to sweet. While most Chenin blanc is produced as a varietal wine, up to 20% of Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
and Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
are permitted in wines with the basic Anjou, Saumur and Touraine designations. The high acidity of Chenin blancs lends itself well to sparkling wine production
Sparkling wine production
There are four main methods of sparkling wine production. The first is simple injection of carbon dioxide , the process used in soft drinks, but this produces big bubbles that dissipate quickly in the glass. The second is the Metodo Italiano – Charmat process, in which the wine undergoes a...
where it is an important component of Crémant de Loire, sparkling Vouvray and in the Languedoc wine
Languedoc wine
Languedoc - Roussillon wine, including the vin de pays labeled Vin de Pays d'Oc, is produced in southern France. While "Languedoc" can refer to a specific historic region of France and Northern Catalonia, usage since the 20th century has primarily referred to the northern part of the...
region of Limoux where it is blended with Mauzac
Mauzac
Mauzac may refer to:* Mauzac , a grape variety mainly grown in the Gaillac region southeast of Bordeaux in France* Mauzac, Haute-Garonne, a commune of the Haute-Garonne département in France...
and Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
. Outside of the Loire, other French plantings of Chenin blanc can be found in Corsica, the Languedoc, Charentes and the Aveyron
Aveyron
Aveyron is a département in southern France named after the Aveyron River.- History :Aveyron is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790....
department.
In the 1970s, plantings of Chenin blanc in the Loire was uprooted in favor of the more fashionable red Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...
and white Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
as well as the easier-to-grow Gamay
Gamay
Gamay is a purple-colored grape variety used to make red wines, most notably grown in Beaujolais and in the Loire Valley around Tours. Its full name is Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc. It is a very old cultivar, mentioned as long ago as the 15th century...
. This consolidated Chenin's presence to the Middle Loire region around Anjou-Saumur and Touraine
Touraine
The Touraine is one of the traditional provinces of France. Its capital was Tours. During the political reorganization of French territory in 1790, the Touraine was divided between the departments of Indre-et-Loire, :Loir-et-Cher and Indre.-Geography:...
. In the 1980s, interest in the sweet dessert wines of the Loire renewed enthusiasm for Chenin blanc in the region. During this time the Bordeaux wine
Bordeaux wine
A Bordeaux wine is any wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France. Average vintages produce over 700 million bottles of Bordeaux wine, ranging from large quantities of everyday table wine, to some of the most expensive and prestigious wines in the world...
region of Sauternes
Sauternes (wine)
Sauternes is a French sweet wine from the Sauternais region of the Graves section in Bordeaux. Sauternes is made from Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes that have been affected by Botrytis cinerea, also known as noble rot. This causes the grapes to become partially raisined,...
had experienced a series of favorable vintages that saw a dramatic increase in prices as supply began to dwindle in face of high demand. Wine consumers who had developed an appreciation for these sweet wines began to look to the Loire as another source. The 1990s brought a string successful vintages to the Middle Loire that produced many highly rated Chenin wines affected by noble rot
Noble rot
Noble rot is the benevolent form of a grey fungus, Botrytis cinerea, affecting wine grapes. Infestation by Botrytis requires moist conditions, and if the weather stays wet, the malevolent form, "grey rot", can destroy crops of grapes...
. As wine expert Oz Clarke noted, these wines became the "standard-bearer
Standard-bearer
A standard-bearer is a person who bears an emblem called an ensign or standard, i.e. either a type of flag or an inflexible but mobile image, which is used as a formal, visual symbol of a state, prince, military unit, etc.This can either be an occasional duty, often seen as an honour , or a...
" for Chenin blanc.
The climate of the wine region tends to dictate what style of Chenin blanc is most prevalent in the area. In the northernmost reaches of Jasnières, Chenin blanc is at its limits for cultivation with the wines being mostly dry and thin. While most of the Middle Loire experience a continental climate, the Coteaux du Layon receives more climatic influence from the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
which promotes the development of Botrytis cinerea
Botrytis cinerea
Botrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic fungus that affects many plant species, although its most notable hosts may be wine grapes. In viticulture, it is commonly known as botrytis bunch rot; in horticulture, it is usually called grey mould or gray mold.The fungus gives rise to two different kinds of...
than in nearby Vouvray or Montlouis. While all three AOC produce sweet, botrytized wine there tends to be less vintage variation in the Coteaux du Layon. The cool continental influences of Montlouis and Vouvray lends itself to producing a wide range of Chenin blanc including grapes with the necessary balance of acidity to sugar needed to produced sparkling wine. In the AOC of Savennières, there is less fog and mist from the nearby rivers and lots of wind that makes it difficult for botrytis to take root. This part of the reason why Savennières is the one Loire AOC that produced predominately dry Chenin blanc. In the south of France, the warm Mediterranean climate of the Languedoc region encourages the production of much more dry styles of Chenin blanc rather sweet.
South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Chenin blanc is the most widely planted variety—accounting for nearly one-fifth of all vineyard plantings in the early 21st century. The variety was most likely introduced to the country in the collection of vine cuttings sent to Jan van Riebeeck
Jan van Riebeeck
Johan Anthoniszoon "Jan" van Riebeeck was a Dutch colonial administrator and founder of Cape Town.-Biography:...
by the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
. For the next couple hundred years of South African wine history, the variety was known as Steen. It wasn't till 1965 that ampelographers were able to concretely identify the numerous plantings of Steen around the country as being Chenin blanc. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Chenin blanc was the principal grape in the "white wine renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
" of the South African wine industry that was ushered in by the introduction of new technologies such as temperature controlled fermentation
Fermentation (wine)
The process of fermentation in wine turns grape juice into an alcoholic beverage. During fermentation, yeast interact with sugars in the juice to create ethanol, commonly known as ethyl alcohol, and carbon dioxide...
vessels. During this time the focus was on producing off-dry, clean and crisp wine that was mostly neutral in flavor that could capitalize on the wine market's demand for white wine. Near the end of the century, several Chenin blanc specialist producers emerged that worked with vineyard managers to isolate older Chenin vines on suitable terroir that could produce wines that exhibit Chenin's unique aromas and trait. While plantings of Chenin blanc have decreased in recent years, the work of these producers has risen the quality profile of South African Chenin blanc. The majority of Chenin blanc in South Africa is planted in the Stellenbosch, Paarl
Paarl
Paarl is a town with 191,013 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Its the third oldest European settlement in the Republic of South Africa and the largest town in the Cape Winelands. Due to the growth of the Mbekweni township, it is now a de facto urban unit with Wellington...
and Worcester regions with Malmesbury in Swartland
Swartland
The Swartland begins some 50 kilometres north of Cape Town and consists of the regions between the towns of Malmesbury in the south, Darling in the west, Piketberg in the north and the Riebeek West and Riebeek Kasteel in the east...
also having sizable plantings.
United States
While during the 1980s, the California wineCalifornia wine
California wine has a long and continuing history, and in the late twentieth century became recognized as producing some of the world's finest wine. While wine is made in all fifty U.S. states, up to 90% of American wine is produced in the state...
industry had more acreage of Chenin blanc planted than France-in recent years the numbers of plantings have steadily declined. By 2006, there were 13000 acres (5,260.9 ha) planted mostly in the hot Central Valley. For most of its history in the California wine industry, the grape was considered as "workhorse variety" that could be used anonymously in bulk and jug wine
Jug wine
Jug wine is a term in the United States for inexpensive table wine typically bottled in a glass jug.Historically, jug wines were labeled semi-generically, often sold to third parties to be relabeled, or sold directly from the winery's tasting room to customers who would often bring their own bottles...
blends. Chenin's natural acidity and ability to adapt to wines of varying degrees of sweetness made it an ideal blending partner with Colombard
Colombard
Colombard is an early fruiting white variety of wine grape, better known as French Colombard in North America. It is possibly the offspring of Gouais Blanc and Chenin Blanc....
and Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
in these mass produced blends. It wasn't till close to the turn of the century that producers in the Clarksburg AVA
Clarksburg AVA
The Clarksburg AVA is an American Viticultural Area that spans three counties in California's Sacramento Valley. Located in portions of Sacramento County, Solano County, and Yolo County, the Clarksburg AVA includes near the towns of Clarksburg. The growing region has dense clay and loam soils...
in the Sacramento Valley
Sacramento Valley
The Sacramento Valley is the portion of the California Central Valley that lies to the north of the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta in the U.S. state of California. It encompasses all or parts of ten counties.-Geography:...
started to make quality varietal Chenin blancs a specialty. Clarksburg designated Chenin blancs from these producers tend to show a characteristic musky melon aroma and have the potential to age well.
Yakima Valley AVA
The Yakima Valley AVA was the first American Viticultural Area established within Washington State, gaining the recognition in 1983. Part of the larger Columbia Valley AVA, Yakima Valley AVA is home to more than of vineyards, giving the area the largest concentration of wineries and vineyards in...
and Columbia Valley and the Texas High Plains AVA
Texas High Plains AVA
The Texas High Plains AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in the Texas panhandle. The appellation is the second largest American Viticultural Area in Texas, and covers an area of over . Most of the vineyards are on flat terrain at elevations between and above sea level...
. Other states in the United States with plantings of Chenin blanc include New York, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Arizona, New Mexico, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Idaho and Texas. In 1990 there was 44 acres (17.8 ha) of Chenin blanc planted in Oregon but by 2001 virtually all of it had been uprooted with only a few isolated plantings left.
Other wine regions
In Australia, the country's 1500 acres (607 ha) of Chenin blanc is mostly used as a blending variety often used with Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc and SemillonSémillon
Sémillon is a golden-skinned grape used to make dry and sweet white wines, most notably in France and Australia.-History:The origin of the Sémillon grape is hard to determine. It is known that it first arrived in Australia in the early 19th century and by the 1820s the grape covered over 90 percent...
. Australia Chenin plantings can be found in Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia as well as the Swan Valley and Margaret River
Margaret River
Margaret River is a river in southwest Western Australia. Although small and unremarkable, it is the eponym of the iconic town and tourist region of Margaret River, famous for its surfing, caves and wine....
area of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. Wine expert James Halliday describes the style of Australia Chenin blanc as "tutti-frutti" with pronounced fruit salad
Fruit salad
Fruit salad is a dish consisting of various kinds of fruit, served in a liquid, either in their own juices or a syrup. When served as an appetizer or as a dessert, a fruit salad is sometimes known as a fruit cocktail or fruit cup...
notes. However the wines produced in Western Australia have been garnering more critical attention. In New Zealand, acreage of the variety has fallen to just under 250 acres (101.2 ha) by 2004. Planted primarily in the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
, some examples of New Zealand Chenin blanc have drawn favorable comparisons to the sweet dessert styles Chenin from the Loire Valley. Historically the grape has been used as a blending partner with Müller-Thurgau
Müller-Thurgau
Müller-Thurgau is a variety of white grape which was created by Hermann Müller from the Swiss Canton of Thurgau in 1882. It is a crossing of Riesling with Madeleine Royale. It is used to make white wine in Germany, Austria, Northern Italy, Hungary, England, in Australia, Czech Republic, Slovakia,...
in mass produced blends. The success of some critically acclaimed New Zealand Chenin blanc has sparked interest in planting the variety however, as experts such as Oz Clarke have noted, as long as the value of New Zealand Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc stays high there is little economic reason to pursue premium Chenin blanc production.
The grape was exported to Israel in the 19th century where it still found in limited quantities. Chenin blanc is found planted throughout Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, though for many years plantings in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
were confused for Pinot Blanc
Pinot Blanc
Pinot blanc is a white wine grape. It is a point genetic mutation of Pinot noir. Pinot noir is genetically unstable and will occasionally experience a point mutation in which a vine bears all black fruit except for one cane which produced white fruit....
. The grape used primarily in mass produced white blends. Canada has Chenin blanc planted in the Okanagan wine region of British Columbia and in Ontario. Some plantings of Chenin blanc can be found in the Spanish wine regions
Spanish wine regions
The mainstream quality wine regions in Spain are referred to as Denominaciones de Origen and the wine they produce is regulated for quality according to specific laws....
of Catalonia, Aragon and Navarra.
Wines
Greengage
The greengages, also known as the Reine Claudes, are the edible drupaceous fruits of a cultivar group of the common European plum. The first true greengage was bred in Moissac, France, from a green-fruited wild plum originally found in Asia Minor; the original greengage cultivar nowadays survives...
, angelica
Garden Angelica
Angelica archangelica, commonly known as Garden Angelica, Holy Ghost, Wild Celery, and Norwegian angelica, is a biennial plant from the Apiaceae family Apiaceae family, formerly known as Umbelleferae...
and honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
. Chenin wines produced from noble rot will often have notes of peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
es and honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
that develop into barley sugar
Barley sugar
Barley sugar is a traditional variety of British boiled sweet, or hard candy, yellow or orange in colour with an extract of barley added as flavouring...
, marzipan
Marzipan
Marzipan is a confection consisting primarily of sugar and almond meal. Persipan is a similar, yet less expensive product, in which the almonds are replaced by apricot or peach kernels...
and quince
Quince
The quince , or Cydonia oblonga, is the sole member of the genus Cydonia and native to warm-temperate southwest Asia in the Caucasus region...
as they age. Dry or semi-sweet Chenin blanc from the Loire will often have notes apple, greengage and chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
y minerals that develop into more honey, acacia and quince aromas. New World styles of Chenin, such as those of South Africa, are more often made to be consume young and exhibit rich tropical fruit notes such as banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
, guava
Guava
Guavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium , which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America...
, pear
Pear
The pear is any of several tree species of genus Pyrus and also the name of the pomaceous fruit of these trees. Several species of pear are valued by humans for their edible fruit, but the fruit of other species is small, hard, and astringent....
and pineapple
Pineapple
Pineapple is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone. The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae...
. The alcohol level for dessert styles Chenin rarely go above 12% which keeps the wines more in balance. Drier styles of Chenin are more likely to be around 13.5%.
The age ability of sweet Loire Chenin blanc is among the longest lived in the world of wine with well-made examples from favorable vintages regularly having the potential to last for at least 100 years. This longevity is attributed to the grape's naturally high acidity which acts as a preservative as the phenolic compounds in the wine
Phenolic compounds in wine
The phenolic compounds - natural phenol and polyphenols - in wine include a large group of several hundred chemical compounds that affect the taste, color and mouthfeel of wine. These compounds include phenolic acids, stilbenes, flavonols, dihydroflavonols, anthocyanins, flavanol monomers and...
breakdown, adding complexity and depth to the wine. Some off dry or "demi-sec" examples may need at least 10 years before they start drinking at peak levels and could continue to develop for another 20 to 30 years. Sparkling and dry examples of Chenin blanc from premium production and favorable vintages have also shown longevity levels not commonly associated with white wine. Chenin blanc wines are prone to going through "dumb phases" as it ages where the wine closes up, revealing little aroma and varietal characteristics.
Food pairings
Salad
Salad is any of a wide variety of dishes, including vegetable salads; salads of pasta, legumes, eggs, or grains; mixed salads incorporating meat, poultry, or seafood; and fruit salads. They may include a mixture of cold and hot, often including raw vegetables or fruits.Green salads include leaf...
s, fish and chicken. The sweeter styles Chenin blanc can balance the spicy heat of some Asian and Hispanic cuisines. The acidity and balance of medium-dry styles can pair well with cream sauces and rich dishes like pâté
Pâté
Pâté is a mixture of ground meat and fat minced into a spreadable paste. Common additions include vegetables, herbs, spices, and either wine or cognac, armagnac or brandy...
.
Synonyms
Anjou, Blanc d'Aunis, Capbreton Blanc (Landes, France), Confort, Coue Fort, Cruchinet, Cugnette, Feher Chenin, Franc Blanc, Franche, Gout Fort, Luarskoe, Pineau d'Anjou, Pineau de Briollay, Pineau de la Loire, Pineau de Savennières, Pineau Gros, Pineau Gros de Vouvray, Pineau Nantais, Plant de Brézé (archaic), now more often applied to Romorantin, Plant de Salces, Plant de Salles, Plant du Clair de Lune, Quefort, Rajoulin, Rouchalin, Rougelin, Steen (South Africa), Stein, Tête de Crabe, Vaalblaar Stein, Verdurant, Blanc d’Anjou, Gros Chenin, Gros Pinot Blanc de la Loire, Plant d’Anjou and Gamet blanc (Aveyron, France).External links
- Chenin Blanc from Winepros.org, with characteristics of its vine, grape and wine
- South African Chenin Blanc Association