While the Loire Valley may be the viticultural birthplace of Chenin Blanc, the variety has found a second home in South Africa. Representing 18% of the country’s total acreage under vine, Chenin Blanc is currently that country’s most widely planted grape.
Chenin’s popularity in the New World originally stemmed from its vigorous, high-yielding vines. In South Africa, Chenin Blanc was used in the semisweet Lieberstein (once the world’s largest-selling bottled wine), to add acidity to bulk blends or as the base for brandy distillation.
The result was a reputation as a workhorse variety that offered a neutral experience, rather than one driven by terroir or complexity.
“We have a long history with Chenin, and it really is the cornerstone of our industry,” says Chris Mullineux of Mullineux Family Wines. “It’s no coincidence that in Afrikaans, a brick is translated as Steen [an alias of the grape],” he says. “It’s the most widely planted grape variety in the country, and what makes it unique is how versatile it is here.”
Today, South African Chenin Blanc is having a moment of reinvention and reintroduction to the world, proving itself a noble variety capable of producing world-class wines. Chenin Blanc thrives in many of the country’s designated WO (Wine of Origin) regions, producing particularly stunning wines in Stellenbosch, Swartland and the Coastal Region.
“We have the most plantings of Chenin Blanc of any wine region in the world, and it’s distributed across many different sites,” says Ken Forrester, current chairman of the Chenin Blanc Association (CBA) and winemaker at his eponymous winery in Stellenbosch.
“As well as having the most, we also have a large percentage of older vineyards,” he adds, speaking to the renewed interest in old-vine Chenin Blanc. Old bush vines whose yields have been controlled are said to produce the most intensely flavored selections and best express their individual terroirs.
Formed in 2000, the CBA was established to promote Chenin’s noble heritage and establish a new, high-quality image for the variety. While there are no official rules on labeling styles yet, the CBA currently recognizes six different styles of Chenin Blanc. Labeling regulations are in the works to help consumers understand what they can expect from any given bottle.
“Chenin’s big challenge is to convey a strong stylistic image that consumers can identify with,” says Mullineux.
To simplify things and help you identify the Chenin style you like best, here are snapshots of four main categories: fresh and fruity, oaked, sweet and blended.
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