Drinking and Pairing Chenin Blanc with Food

Chenin Blanc is the golden-hued, honey- and apple-scented white grape variety of France's Loire Valley, as well as some New World wine regions. In the middle Loire, where it produces Vouvray, Saumur, Coteaux-du-Layon, and Savennières, Chenin Blanc is produced in nearly every imaginable style, such as sparkling, dry, off-dry, and sweet. Savennières is a dry wine and some consider its two Crus of La Roche-aux-Moines and Coulée de Serrant to be some of the very finest dry white wines produced on earth, while Vouvray covers the entire range of styles. The reason for this diversity lies in Chenin's high acidity coupled with high natural sugar and high extract. The aroma and flavor of Loire Valley Chenin Blanc can be mesmerizing, with hints of lemon, baked apple, honey, blossoms, wet wool, and wet chalk. Chenin's high acidity is emphasized in South Africa where it is produced in a clean, fresh style, and is known as Steen. Varietal bottlings can also be found from California and other parts of the New World.

Chenin Blanc can be the perfect partner for dishes that are rich, salty, or mildly spicy, while off-dry styles of Chenin can be an excellent compliment to foods containing a slight sweetness of their own.