A Tour of Wine Grapes: Chenin Blanc

Chenin Blanc Chenin Blanc is a white wine grape variety that has been cultivated in France for nearly 1300 years. It is most commonly associated with France's Loire Valley. French documents first mention Chenin Blanc as early as the year 845, and the variety has appeared in various parts of the Loire Valley under a multitude of synonyms since. Today, just over half of the world’s production of the Chenin Blanc grape is from South Africa with approximately a third being grown in France. Photo by Chrisada on Wikimedia Commons Its high acidity levels mean it can be produced in a number of different styles: As (1) a sweet, botrytis -affected dessert wines, (2) light, honeyed sparkling wines and (3) as full-bodied, still white wines. (1) The sweet, botrytis dessert wines are most famously from Sauternes, France. (2) Light honeyed sparkling wines are often from France including Vouvray Pétillant and Crémant de Loire. (3) Full-bodied still wines are produced around the world including South A

by Marc Kirkpatrick · source ↗