The king of the Loire grape varieties, also widespread in South Africa, "ch'nin", as the people of the Loire pronounce it, has the extraordinary ability to produce dry white wines as well as semi-dry, sweet, syrupy and even sparkling wines, commonly known as fines bulles. Complex and demanding, it is nonetheless endearing.
In France, around 95% of Chenin grapes are grown in the Loire Valley, in the vineyards of Anjou-Saumur and Touraine. It reigns supreme in dozens of appellations - anjou, savennières, quarts-de-chaume, saumur, chinon, touraine, vouvray or montlouis... and the list is far from exhaustive. And when it's not king, it plays the role of secondary, accessory or complementary grape variety. on the scale of French vineyards, however, the long-established Chenin accounts for only a small proportion of the total, less than 4%. And of the 35,000 hectares planted worldwide, 53% are in South Africa, mainly in the Cape region, and around 28% in France.
This article is taken from Gault&Millau, le magazine #9. Find the latest issue on newsstands, in our e-boutique or on the Gault&Millau iOS or Android app . It is also available online onPressReader.
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