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Chenin Blanc - the chameleon of the Loire and South Africa

If one grape deserves the title of the chameleon of the wine world, it is Chenin Blanc. From this single white variety wines of almost every possible character are made: from dry and mineral, through off-dry, to dense, sweet dessert wines, and on top of that sparkling. No other white grape has such a range. Chenin has two great homes: the French Loire valley, where it is a classic, and South Africa, where under the name Steen it is the most-planted variety. Its secret is a high acidity, which binds all these styles together. Here is a guide to Chenin Blanc: what character it has, where its versatility comes from, what the Loire and South Africa are famous for and why it is a true chameleon.

What Chenin Blanc is

Chenin Blanc is a white grape with roots in the French Loire valley, one of the most versatile in the world. Its most important feature is a high, lively acidity, which forms the backbone of the wine regardless of style. In flavour Chenin offers notes of quince, apple, pear, honey, chamomile, and sometimes a characteristic note of wool or lanolin and ginger. With age it develops notes of honey, nuts and marzipan. It is a grape with a great capacity for ageing - the best Chenins live for decades. Understanding that Chenin is a versatile white of high acidity is the starting point. It is a grape of hidden strength. It is a white vine of many faces. We cover another versatile white more in Riesling.

Why a chameleon

Chenin owes its nickname of chameleon to its remarkable versatility. From the same variety come extremely different wines: dry (from mineral to full), off-dry, sweet dessert, and also sparkling. This is a rarity - most grapes specialise in one or two styles. The secret of this flexibility is the high acidity: it allows sweet wines to be made without cloying (the acid balances the sugar) and gives freshness to sparkling wines and structure to dry ones. The character of the final wine depends on the ripeness of the grapes and the winemaker’s decisions. Understanding that one Chenin gives all styles thanks to acidity is the key to its phenomenon. It is winemaking modelling clay. It is a grape that can be anything.

A table: styles of Chenin

Let us gather the styles in one place:

The table shows the range of Chenin: from mineral dry to sweet dessert and sparkling. All from one grape, bound by acidity.

The home in the Loire

The first home of Chenin is the French Loire valley, where it is a classic, noble grape. It is here that its most famous faces developed in specific appellations. Vouvray is famous for Chenins in the full range - from dry to sweet and sparkling. Savennières is dry, mineral, tense wine of great ageing capacity. Coteaux du Layon and Quarts de Chaume are famous sweet wines from botrytis (noble rot). Saumur and Crémant de Loire give sparkling. The Loire shows the whole range of the grape’s possibilities in one region. Understanding that the Loire is the classic home of Chenin with the full range of styles places it geographically. It is the French cradle of the chameleon. It is a region where Chenin plays every role.

The home in South Africa

The second great home of Chenin is South Africa, where it is known under the name Steen. Surprisingly, it is precisely there that Chenin is the most-planted grape variety - South Africa has more Chenin than any other country. South African Chenins are sometimes made from old bush vines, giving concentrated and deep wines. The style here is often fuller, more fruity and sunny than in the cool Loire, from fresh dry to rich, oaked versions. South Africa shows Chenin in a warmer, New World guise. Understanding that South Africa is the second home of Chenin (Steen) completes its geography. It is the southern homeland of the grape. It is Chenin in a sunny version.

Dry Chenin

Let us look at the main styles. Dry Chenin is its most classic face. In the cool Loire (like Savennières) it gives wines that are tense, mineral, chalky, with notes of quince, apple and wet wool, with high acidity and a great capacity for ageing. In warmer South Africa, dry Chenin is sometimes fuller, more fruity and at times oaked. The common denominator is the freshness and structure that make it an excellent food wine. Dry Chenin is often a hidden gem - less known than Chardonnay, yet remarkably valuable. Understanding that dry Chenin combines minerality and acidity shows its most serious face. It is a white for connoisseurs. It is tension and precision in the glass.

Sweet and botrytis Chenin

The second great style is sweet wines. Thanks to its high acidity, Chenin is excellent for dessert wines that are not cloying, but beautifully balanced. The most famous are made in the Loire (Coteaux du Layon, Quarts de Chaume) from grapes affected by botrytis - the noble rot, which concentrates the sugar and adds notes of honey, dried apricot and orange. They are wines of enormous depth, able to age for decades, balancing the sweetness with lively acidity. They are some of the most magnificent sweet wines in the world. Understanding that Chenin gives outstanding sweet wines thanks to acidity and botrytis shows its dessert face. It is sweetness without weight. It is a masterpiece of balance.

Sparkling Chenin

The third style is sparkling wines. The high acidity of Chenin makes it ideal for producing sparkling wine - it gives them freshness, structure and an apple-citrus character. In the Loire it makes Crémant de Loire and sparkling Vouvray, made by the traditional method like champagne. In South Africa Chenin goes into Cap Classique - South African sparkling wines of the classic method. It is often a great, underrated alternative to more expensive sparkling wines. Sparkling Chenin shows that this grape works even in bubbles. Understanding that Chenin also gives great sparkling wine rounds out its versatility. It is a chameleon even in bubbles. It is proof that Chenin’s acidity fits everywhere.

How to drink and pair it

Chenin is a very rewarding wine at the table, and the choice depends on the style. Dry, mineral Chenin pairs with fish, seafood, poultry and goat cheeses - its acidity cleanses the palate. Fuller, oaked Chenin suits richer dishes and white meat. Sweet Chenin is a classic with desserts, foie gras and aged blue cheeses. Sparkling suits an aperitif and light snacks. Serve the dry ones well chilled, the sweet ones a little warmer. Thanks to its acidity, Chenin almost always harmonises wonderfully with food. Understanding how to pair Chenin to the style makes it a versatile culinary wine. It is a white for every occasion. We cover differences in world styles more in the New World and the Old World.

The essentials in brief

Let us gather it up. Chenin Blanc is the most versatile white grape in the world, a chameleon, from which dry, sweet, dessert and sparkling wines are made. Its secret is a high, lively acidity, which binds all the styles together - it allows sweet wines to be made without cloying and gives freshness to sparkling ones. It has two great homes: the French Loire (the classic appellations: Vouvray, mineral Savennières, sweet botrytis Coteaux du Layon, sparkling) and South Africa, where as Steen it is the most-planted variety, often from old bush vines. It tastes of quince, apple, honey and wool, and ages beautifully. It pairs with very different dishes depending on the style. Now you know why Chenin Blanc is a true chameleon of wine.

Note every Chenin Blanc wine in GustoNote - including its style and the acidity and notes you sense. In time you will appreciate how one grape can be so versatile.