Grape Vari­ety: Chenin Blanc

Geog­ra­phy: Home is the Loire Val­ley in France. Other regions include Argentina, Cal­i­for­nia, Mex­ico, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

Viti­cul­ture: Some­times has a prob­lem ripen­ing in the Loire Val­ley, but recent warm sum­mers and improved viti­cul­tural tech­niques have led to bet­ter yields.

Varietal/Blend: Mainly used as a vari­etal grape.

Fla­vor & Char­ac­ter: Pos­sesses extra­or­di­nary fla­vor, with con­trasts of honey, guava, quince with hints of light flo­ral fruitiness.

Vini­fi­ca­tion: It may be fer­mented dry or have some sweet­ness depend­ing on style.

Style: Strong acid­ity, well-rounded styles vary­ing from fresh, light unoaked to rich, heav­ily oaked wines.

Body, Dry/Sweet: Some­times affected by ”Noble Rot,” and used for mak­ing dessert style wines.

Notes: Also known as Pineau de la Loire and Blanc d’Anjou.