Chenin Blanc

Chenin Blanc is perfect with seafood

Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio may dominate the supermarket shelves but when your ready to dabble your toes in a bigger world of wine enter Chenin Blanc.

Chenin Blanc will never be able to overtake the big sellers because it's a complex wine to grow.

Unlike Sauvignon Blanc, when it's harvesting time instead of mechanically harvesting large bunches of ripe grapes Chenin Blanc requires hand harvesting. This greatly increases the cost of wine production.

The beautiful thing about Chenin Blanc is that a single bunch of grapes will contain un-ripe grapes, perfectly ripe grapes and lusciously sweet grapes. Therefore trained pickers will take just the right grapes that are required for the desired wine types.

This is famously how Vouvray is harvested in Loire Valley, France. These wines can be great value but some go for some serious money.

Another traditional location for Chenin Blanc and growing in reputation is South Africa. Locally known as Steen it is available in both dry and sweet varieties

South African wines for years have suffered from poor quality wine management, however, this has changed dramatically with some of the most sophisticated wine techniques used in the world.

Chenin Blanc benefits from a cooler climate, such as in the Loire valley, which is only available on the coastal False Bay Area just south of the western cape.

Chenin Blanc has a beautiful fresh crisp acidity with lively fresh aromas of apples and pears make it perfect with fish and seafood but also because of the big fruit taste can be drunk on its own.

Make sure you read the label to see if it's a dry or sweet wine.

Most locally will be dry.

They are also very well priced and can be purchased for around £6.

Naturally if you can spend a few more pennies you'll be in for a real treat.

Food & Wine by Paul Sheerin
Pshearse@gmail.com