Site Meter Wine Outlook » Blog Archive » Chenin Blanc: California vs. France

Chenin Blanc: California vs. France

by

Chenin Blanc tastingMy tasting group was not the most organized affair this time. At the last meeting we chose a theme but never really decided on a date. Therefore, after throwing an e-mail out last week, only a few people followed through and we ended up changing it from Thursday to Monday. With the last-minute assignment and a not-so-common variety (Chenin Blanc), there was a bit of stress for some in finding a bottle. We still managed to survey seven different bottles: three from France and four from California.

Chenin Blanc is quite versatile, capable of extreme sweetness, sparkling versions, or fair-to-mediocre table wine. It has a long history in the Loire Valley, where it can sometimes have too much acidity, depending on ripeness. It seems the best versions there are sweet, with hints of honey and damp straw. The grape has gained great popularity in South Africa, sometimes referred to as Steen. Winemakers are striving to avoid that mediocrity that seems to come too easily to the grape. California also grows its fair share of Chenin Blanc, where it’s usually relegated to blends. Very few producers give it much attention, but Clarksburg seems to be one area that provides some interesting versions.

We didn’t do a tally, but I think I may have brought the winner this time, making up for my less-than-stellar contributions at the past few. Mine was a 2005 Francois Pinon Vouvray Cuvee Traditional. At $15, it smelled of honeysuckle, tangerine, and orange blossoms, with some minerality and light orange on the palate. My other favorite was a CA selection: the 2005 Dry Creek Chenin Blanc from Clarksburg. Only $9, this one had petrol on the nose for me and white pepper on the crisp palate. Very different from the 2006 Dry Creek Chenin Blanc we also tasted, which was more reminiscent of a Sauvignon Blanc with its grapefruit, stone, and grassy notes. This one was $16 and rounder than I would have expected.

I was excited before trying the NV sparkling Vouvray from Champalon. This one was a little disappointing, however, with too many bubbles to get much on the palate. It reminded me of soda water initially and became more citrus and chalk on the finish. The other Vouvray was much sweeter than the Pinon. It was a 2005 Francoise Chidaine Le Bouchet. It was obvious from its golden color that it would have a fair amount of sugar, which it did (botrytis affected, perhaps) along with honey and orange.

We also sampled a 2005 Vinum Chard-no-way, which was surprisingly barrel fermented in French oak and a little too warm to appreciate and an off bottle of Bonny Doon Pacific Rim Chenin Blanc which smelled of eggs and canned dog food.

This was definitely educational for me, as I haven’t had that much Chenin Blanc in the past. The problem for me may come from the great range in styles, making it hard to know what you’re getting, which makes pairing with food that much harder….

….Farley Walker

, , ,

Did You Enjoy this Post? Subscribe to Wine Outlook. It's Free!

3 Responses to “Chenin Blanc: California vs. France”

  1. Bryon Says:

    The variety in this tasting was interesting, even more so that usual I thought. About every two wines seemed similar as pairs, but were different from the rest, almost like tasting four different wines. It seems there may be quite a bit of untapped potential in this varietal…

  2. sara, the house of charm Says:

    I am sorry to have missed out on this one. perhaps I was too hasty… I have a friend from France who wants to share a bottle from South Africa that his dad sent from Marseille. Perhaps if we ever get the nerve to invite him over we’ll have you buys there too. I work with him and don’t know him too well, but he and Ryan have met at work functions and had a love connection…

  3. Dr. Debs Says:

    That’s a lot of range in a wine tasting on a single varietal; Byron is right. I love the Dry Creek Valley, which is always good even if the flavor profile is different each time. One Chenin Blanc I’ve had lately and really like–very dry, crisp, and green–is the Ballentine Chenin Blanc. It’s around $15 and I like it as a refreshing before-dinner option.

Leave a Reply


About Wine Outlook

This site is your go-to for answers about wine, courtesy of someone in the business. Firsthand knowledge and hours of research logged each week provide informed and impassioned suggestions for what wine to serve with meals (sometimes with recipes), places to go for education or fun, and what to buy or not buy. Wine Outlook is where you go when you’ve had too much to drink or not enough.

Wine Outlook Author(s)

Blogging Flair

Add to Technorati Favorites Top Food & Drink blogs Food & Drink Blogs - Blog Top Sites As Seen on Delightfulblogs.com

Food, Cooking & Wine Channel Posts

  • Pancakes - or not
    Tomorrow is Shrove Tuesday. I know this because very year around this time I try to persuade friends to collect me throws from Mardi Gras parades. Some years I succeed, this year I didn't. I [...]
  • Great dinners: Stress relief through cooking
    [caption id="attachment_493" align="alignnone" width="1024" caption="Abstraction: Ability to move beyond photo by Mary MacIntyre"][/caption] At this time of night, I ought to geeting ready for my [...]
  • Sunday Evening Cookie Making
    • Shortbread Cookies Makes: 2 dozen 1-1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 tsp. salt 6 egg yolks 2 tsp. vanilla extract 4 cups all-purpose flour In a large bowl, cream [...]
  • 2 Women Changing their local garden community
    [caption id="attachment_489" align="alignnone" width="1024" caption="Congratulations:Garden more!"][/caption] This a fantastic way to start farms across the nation! In our own backyards! [...]
  • Food we eat:Dr. Vandana Shiva - Part 1
    [caption id="attachment_486" align="alignnone" width="1024" caption="Real food for all species"][/caption] "Half the people in the world don't get the nutrition they need" paraphrased from Dr [...]
  • What's for Dinner Tonight?
    • Turkey, Black Bean and Corn Salad Wraps Serves: 4 Shred some cooked turkey and mix with 1 cup of corn, 1 cup of black beans and 3 cups shredded romaine lettuce. Mix that with 1 cup salsa [...]
  • Ways to a Healthier Heart
    February is heart health month and the best way to get your heart healthy is to practice a few heart health exercises and to adopt a strategy to keep your heart at it's best. Here is some ways right [...]
  • We met the chef
    I'm still a hothouse of minor ailments, but I really want to give you a banquet update because there's so much news. There are a hundred recipes being tested over the next ten days. I need to [...]
  • Have you had a Fig Lately?
    Did you know that many people when they go to purchase fruits, don't consider buying figs as a part of their fruit bowl, and you maybe one of those people. There are 150 Varieties of figs the [...]
  • Time out with the letter 'p'
    Today you have a miserable excuse for a post. I came down with something last night and today I still have that something, plus I had proofs to look at. Working through illness is seldom wise, so [...]

Hot Off The Press


Warning: Unknown: write failed: No space left on device (28) in Unknown on line 0

Warning: Unknown: Failed to write session data (files). Please verify that the current setting of session.save_path is correct () in Unknown on line 0