Celebrating chenin, the chameleon, global grape | Wine
My wine consultant friend, Ruth Osborne, often wears a cap embroidered with the words “chenin blanc”. As someone who is proud to include hats from Toad bakery and Celine Dion’s 2017 UK tour in her collection, I know all about headwear as a signifier of personal brand, and Ruth isn’t the only person in the business to extol the virtues of chenin. But why? The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Chenin blanc shape-shifts with soil and climate perhaps more than any other grape, and it is this chameleon quality that sets wine enthusiasts aflutter, as does the fact that it’s a late-ripening variety with good acidity, so lends itself to a whole spectrum of profiles, from dry to sweet. Versatile, aesthetically ambiguous and, as my friend’s hat testifies, cultish in its appeal, it is the Tilda Swinton of grapes. With up to 35,000 hectares of the stuff planted worldwide, it is a global grape, too. But, unlike the leading players such as …
