Chenin Blanc, Loire
As a couple we disagree on very few matters, however one of them is Chenin. Katy bloody loves it, Joey really does not. It’s a non-aromatic white grape, and depending on who you ask it’s either a smelly, slightly cheesy mess which makes you want to brush your teeth, or a zippy, creamy, bold and brilliant white which pairs wonderfully with food.
Chenin Blanc, what you need to know:
Its key regions are the Loire Valley in France, and South Africa (where it’s the most widely planted grape variety).
The flavour profile of a Chenin Blanc is hard to pin down; it may exhibit mineral, chamomile, pear, apple, quince and even ginger, depending on its ripeness at harvest.
Chenin Blanc can produce a very wide range of styles… In Loire alone the Chenin Blanc grape can take on five different guises:
Anjou tends to produce dry, oaked wines
Samur is known for traditional method sparkling Chenin Blanc
Savennières is relatively warmer and produces complex, full-bodied, late-harvest wines
Vouvray, is relatively cooler and produces lighter, fresher, fruitier, un-oaked wines
Coteaux du Layon is known for producing world-class, age-worthy sweet wines made using ‘noble rot’
No matter the region or climate, a Chenin Blanc will always have bracing acidity which builds on the palate… things start a little simple or even flabby, and within a few seconds you’ll be wincing.
Being a non-aromatic grape Chenin Blanc wines will derive a lot of their flavour from the winemaking processes used, and not just from the grapes alone. For example, it often undergoes a winemaking process called ‘malolactic conversion’ whereby the harsher malic acid of grape must is converted into softer lactic acid. As a result the wine can have a creamy texture, buttery flavours and even strong cheesy aromas and flavours.
3 pairings for Chenin Blanc:
Squash, goats’ cheese & sage tart with parmesan & hazelnut pastry.
This weightier white goes toe to toe with the buttery shortcrust pastry and creamy goats’ cheese very well indeed, and it’s bold acidity prevents things from becoming too rich. Seek out a fuller-bodied, dry Chenin from Anjou.
Mustard-roasted pork chops with apple & sage.
Thanks to that bracing acidity coupled with sweeter, yellow fruit flavours such as Golden Delicious apples and yellow pears, Chenin pairs very well with dishes that have a subtle sweet/sour profile. During roasting, the apples become sweet and fluffy and offer a very pleasing contrast to the mustardy tang of the pork. A richer off-dry Chenin from Savennières offers a similar sweet/sour tension on the palate, which makes a dynamite pairing here.
Spaghetti squash & cacio e pepe chickpeas.
Quite simply, this one’s a case of pairing cheese with cheese. Go for a bold, oaked Chenin from South Africa here, one with a funky whiff of Gruyère or parmesan on the nose (thanks to that malo-conversion) to match the cheesy, creamy spaghetti sauce.