Chenin Blanc Uncovered
Anyone who drinks wine regularly has almost certainly come across the chenin blanc grape variety.
Where Chenin Blanc is Produced
The chenin blanc grape (also known as pineau de la Loire) is a native of the Loire Valley, in France. It is also grown in a few areas of Southern France as well as in California, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Western Australia and New Zealand.
Chenin blanc is a white grape and is used to make still and sparkling wines, ranging from dry to very sweet. In South Africa, it is also used to make sherry and for distillation into brandy.
Depending on where they are produced, chenin blanc wines can exhibit flavors of quince, apple, melon, honey, grass and herbs.
Much chenin blanc, however, is no more than indifferent white plonk. However, in the Loire Valley, top quality dry wines are available from Saumur, medium dry and sweet wines from Vouvray, very sweet wines from the Coteaux du Layon, not forgetting the sparkling Crémant de Loire. Unlike many white wines produced these days, some of these wines will benefit from aging for five to ten years, thus giving them more complex characteristics.
In South Africa, in addition to being produced as a varietal wine, chenin blanc is sometimes blended with chardonnay, colombard or muscat, which can result in some interesting combinations.
Matching Chenin Blanc with Food
Chenin blanc wine goes well with a wide variety of foods. It is an ideal accompaniment for salmon and tuna. It also partners light meats such as pork, veal, chicken and turkey, extremely well. It's the type of wine that has a summer feel to it, so it goes well with rice and pasta salads and other items that you might take on a picnic. Sweet chenin blanc wines go well with almost any dessert that you would care to choose, with the possible exception of chocolate-based puddings.
Chenin blanc's star is in the ascendancy at the present time - and rightly so