white grape · major international
Chenin Blanc
Anjou-Touraine, Loire Valley, France
Say it
sheh·nanblahnk
Both 'en' endings are nasalized in French; all final consonants silent; American speakers often denasalize the vowels entirely.
On the palate
quincegreen applewhite peachhoneylanolinwet stone
How you spot it blind: chameleonic acidity carries bone-dry to botrytised sweet styles with equal authority
The story
First written down · 845 CE, Loire Valley, France
DNA studies propose Savagnin (Jura) as a parent, though unconfirmed in the VIVC registry; first documented 845 CE in the Loire Valley, likely named after Mont Chenin near Tours in Touraine.
Where it lives
Western Cape, South Africa · Loire Valley, France · California, USA · Mendoza, Argentina
Shows up as
still whitesparklingoff-drysweetVouvraySavennièresQuarts de ChaumeCrémant de Loire
If you like this, try
Also answers to Pineau de la Loire, Steen.
Shop our Chenin Blanc bottles