The classic home of chenin blanc, the Loire region in France, is a treasure trove of varietal offshoots, from dry Anjous and Savennieres to sparkling and still Vouvrays with their varying levels of sweetness. But there are also fresh and stylish cremants, and noble dessert wines like Bonnezeaux and Quart de Chaumes.
Chenin blanc was also one of the first traditional French varietals that found footing in the New World, and it is now well established in California, Argentina and Australia, with New Zealand coming on strong. But the one country where it has found the firmest footing, and the warmest welcome, is South Africa. The country’s climatic conditions, wealth of soil types and old-vine vineyards, some hundreds of years old, give chenin blanc the ideal environment for peak performance.
Many of South Africa's old vineyards are remnants from the time when chenin was widely used as a base wine for bulk distillation of brandy. Once the old vines were put under the care of some enterprising viticulturists, however, they became a source for some premium white wines that led to the blossoming of South Africa’s wine industry. And now, chenin is at the forefront of a movement by producers to make very complex, terroir-drive, textural wines, particularly in the Swartland region.
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