Chenin Blanc

1. Overview

Chenin Blanc is one of the world’s most flexible white grapes, able to make wines that range from crisp and dry to richly sweet and even sparkling.
It first gained fame in France’s Loire Valley, especially in areas like Vouvray and Savennières, and now thrives in South Africa, where it is the country’s most planted grape.
Its naturally high acidity and ability to reflect its surroundings make it a favourite for winemakers who prize freshness, texture, and ageing potential.

2. Grape Characteristics

3. Main Regions and Styles

France – The Loire Valley

The home of Chenin Blanc and its greatest diversity of styles.

• Vouvray: The most famous appellation – dry, off-dry, sweet, and sparkling wines with flavours of apple, honey, and mineral.
• Savennières: Always dry; full-bodied, flinty, and ageworthy.
• Coteaux du Layon / Quarts de Chaume / Bonnezeaux: Sweet wines made from late-harvest or botrytised grapes.
• Crémant de Loire: Sparkling Chenin, crisp and refreshing.
  Soils: Limestone, schist, and flint give the wines their minerality and tension.
  Climate: Cool continental; about 600–750 mm of rain per year.

South Africa – The New Classic

South Africa now produces more Chenin than anywhere else, often from old, dry-farmed bush vines.

• Swartland: Old vines on granite soils; dry, textural wines with stone-fruit and waxy notes.
• Stellenbosch: Ripe fruit, gentle oak influence, rounded texture.
• Paarl / Breedekloof: Fuller, honeyed, tropical styles.
  Climate: Warm Mediterranean with cooling ocean breezes and big day–night temperature swings.
  Soils: Granite, sandstone, and shale – free-draining and poor in nutrients.

Many older vineyards still show leafroll virus, which delays ripening and helps retain acidity, adding to the classic “Cape Chenin” style. New plantings use virus-free stock for better vine health and yield consistency.

Other Regions

• USA (California – Clarksburg): Dry, ripe, peachy styles.
• Australia: Margaret River and Adelaide Hills – dry, textured, often barrel-fermented.
• New Zealand: Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne – crisp, aromatic, and often off-dry.

4. Winemaking Styles

Chenin Blanc is one of the few white grapes used for every style of wine:

• Dry: Fermented in stainless steel or large old oak for freshness.
• Off-dry: A touch of sweetness to balance acidity.
• Sweet: Late-harvest or noble-rot grapes, with rich honeyed flavours.
• Sparkling: Traditional-method wines with bright apple and citrus notes.
  Winemakers may use lees ageing for texture or partial malolactic fermentation for softness.

5. Taste and Structure

6. Leading Producers

France: Domaine Huet • Nicolas Joly • Baumard • Clos Naudin • Château Pierre-Bise
South Africa: Alheit • Mullineux • Raats • Ken Forrester • David & Nadia • Beaumont
Elsewhere: Dry Creek Vineyard (California) • Millton (New Zealand) • Voyager Estate (Australia)

7. Modern Trends

• Preservation of old vines in South Africa through the Old Vine Project
• Focus on single-vineyard, terroir-driven wines in both Loire and Swartland
• More minimal-intervention winemaking, with natural fermentation and less oak
• Return to dry, elegant styles in the Loire after decades of semi-sweet wines
• Growing international recognition of Chenin as a fine-wine grape equal to Chardonnay and Riesling

8. Summary

Chenin Blanc is celebrated for its versatility and purity, producing everything from crisp, mineral whites to luscious dessert wines.
In France, it shows tension and precision; in South Africa, it offers texture, richness, and old-vine depth.
Across the world, it remains a benchmark for winemakers seeking wines of acidity, balance, and ageworthy complexity.