Joanne Simon says that 'Chenin Blanc, more than any other grape (including Pinotage), could become South Africa's USP'. She ponders the past and future of the variety in her 'Rainbow Report' page in Britain's wine industry weekly news magazine Harpers (20 January 2006). She was inspired by her Christmas reading of C de Bosdari's 1954 book Wines of the Cape, which asserted that Steen (Chenin) wines 'stand on their own and should be judged as such'. Chenin Blanc's share of South Africa's vineyards may have fallen from 30% in 1997 to 20% today, but Simon notes that in 2004 it was both the most uprooted and most planted variety indicating that some producers are taking it very seriously. Teddy Hall, four times winner of the annual Chenin Blanc Challenge, tells Simon 'Knowing there was such good Chenin about, and that there were so many styles in which it excelled, is why I decided to concentrate on Chenin in the early stages of my career.' Simon reports that last year's judges were criticised for rewarding Hall's high residual sugar (15.7g/l ) and oaked blockbuster Rudera Robusto 2002. But this year a more understated, elegant wine is predicted to win. Panel chairman Michael Fridjhon tells Simon that the winner (which was announced on Wine.co.za as Spier Private Collection 2004 the day before Simon's article appeared) is 'closer in style to the winners of the first five challenges than the next five'. Hall's winning series of super-ripe fruit, high sugar and wooded Chenins demonstrate the variety's versatility, but that very versatility confuses consumers. 'It is much harder for consumers to get their heads around Chenin than, say, Sauvignon Blanc - especially since most producers don't promote the style of their wine on their labels,' Villiera winemaker Jeff Grier told Simon. South Africa's Chenin Blancs are exciting, says Simon, pointing at the success of dry Chenins at France's annual Rendezvous du Chenin. She quotes Teddy Hall: 'The Loire might claim ownership of Chenin Blanc, but there are only a handful of wines at the top end anyway, and even they only get it right once every six years when the weather is okay. In South Africa we can get it right every year.' Also see Feminine touch makes for historic Chenin Blanc win ‘SA Chenin comes of age’ – Bruwer Raats