Chenin Blanc - wine grape variety

Chenin is the official name for this variety in France, but it is often called Pineau de la Loire. It is the main variety of the Loire Valley where there has been a small decrease in the area planted, from 14 200 to 9050 ha, between 1968 and 1988. In California there has been a rapid increase to 11 700 ha in 1992. The variety wrongly called Pinot Blanco in Chile and Argentina is really Chenin Blanc and 4000 ha are recorded in Argentina. The largest area of Chenin Blanc is in South Africa where 27 700 ha are planted under the name of Steen. The variety seems to have been brought to Australia under several names and its identity lost. Of a total of 670 ha, there are 100 ha in Western Australia, where it was formerly incorrectly known as Semillon, and 430 ha in South Australia, where it was wrongly named Albillo or Sherry.

Chenin Blanc is a vigorous variety with an early bud burst. One reason for its popularity in South Africa is that its shoots adhere firmly and are not easily blown off by high winds in spring. The leaves are olive green, rough, undulating, 3- to 5-lobed with tufted hairs on the lower surface. Bunches are medium, conical, winged and compact with small, oval berries. It shows clonal variation in bunch shape and time of maturity and at least some clones are susceptible to splitting by rain and attack by bunch rot at harvest.

Chenin Blanc has a good acidity and is used very successfully in South Africa and California for well-balanced dry table wines. In favoured parts of the Loire Valley it can be affected by 'noble rot' and produces excellent luscious sweet wines. It is also used in some very good sparkling wines.