Thursday Virtual Happy Hour: Chenin Blanc

Chenin Blanc, the backbone of the dry, off-dry and sweet wines of the Loire, from Bonnezeaux to Quarts de Chaumes to Vouvray and Savennières. The versatility of Chenin Blanc is also prized worldwide; in South Africa many fine wines are made, often from very old vines.

Chenin Blanc may be crafted to any level of sweetness, ranging from bone-dry, crisp and sparkling, through to sweet dessert wines. This is reflected in the number of winemaking techniques and styles employed in Chenin production, such as stainless steel, extended-lees contact and barrel maturation. In this respect it is not dissimilar to Chardonnay, with which it commonly appears in blends; however, the two are not closely related genetically. In the vineyard, growers must keep Chenin Blanc's naturally high yields in check, allowing flavors to concentrate and its floral bouquet to come through. The variety buds early and ripens late, making frost a risk in the cooler parts of the world.

Most of the Loire's significant acreage planted to Chenin Blanc is around the cities of Angers and Touraine. Intense, minerally white wines with green apple characters are most commonly associated with the Savennières appellation of the former, while dry and semi-dry Vouvray wines of the latter are a little more tropical and honeyed in character.

The sparkling Cremant de Loire wines of Anjou, Saumur and Touraine are largely based on Chenin Blanc. These lean, racy wines often have a more floral nose and a nuttiness that comes from the lees contact required by the appellation.

Arguably the best expressions of Chenin Blanc from the Loire are the sweet, botrytized wines from Quarts de Chaume and Bonnezeaux, where autumn mists in the Loire’s cool side valleys produce the required conditions for noble rot, resulting in wines with baked-apple, ripe peach and quince flavors.

Like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or Argentinian Malbec, Chenin Blanc has found a specific home in the New World: this time in the vineyards of South Africa. This country has surpassed France to become the largest grower and producer of Chenin, and it remains the most-planted variety there.

We have a choice of videos to watch including:

1. https://youtu.be/vHzeOY0Ysd8?si=VmnYJxZ0Yk5di7G- - Intro to Chenin Blanc: Vouvray (Loire Valley) - The Wine Guy (2:45)
2. https://youtu.be/nKsfrE4bma4?si=w8-kunZ309BUGp4t - One Minute Wine: Chenin Blanc - UC Davis (1:08)
3. https://youtu.be/mH8AZEzeabI?si=5KsQjRngm0ajVz_x - Chenin Blanc: The Loire’s Survivor, Shapeshifter & Comeback Kid - Jacky Blisson (9:51)

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So, pick up a bottle and watch a couple of videos. Let us know what you’re drinking and eating, and, if possible, the region from which your wine comes. Do you have any comments (positive or negative) about the videos? And, as always, tell us what’s going on in your life - what's happening with you, how you're feeling about things, updates, successes, challenges - as much or as little as you’re willing to disclose. We are in this together. And - thank goodness - we have wine!

Cheers!!