Chenin Blanc is our country’s top-selling white wine, and is also the most widely planted white wine variety in South Africa!  More and more Chenin Blanc wines are winning awards. Sales are growing dramatically, reports the Chenin Blanc Association. 

South Africa has just less than 18000 hectares planted to Chenin Blanc, more than that planted in the rest of the world combined, and double that planted in the Loire Valley. More than half of our country’s Chenin Blanc planting is older than eleven years old, and again about half of these older vines are more than twenty years old.

Sales of Chenin Blanc in our country have grown by almost 50% since 2010, and the variety is described as the ‘go to white wine from South Africa’. Exports have more than doubled since 2000, currently at 44 million liters, mainly to Germany, the UK, and Sweden.

Chenin Blanc Association Chairman Ken Forrester said : ‘This grape variety is produced in a range of styles, reflecting diverse terroirs and the versatile nature of the grape. Chenin offers wine lovers the body and texture they enjoy, as well as an aromatic generosity and a freshness so many wine consumers crave. We honestly believe Chenin Blanc has the ability to be our national flagship’.

To celebrate Chenin’s popularity internationally among consumers, a #DrinkChenin day was introduced, and this year our country joined for the first time to give this event a global presence. ‘The day is meant to bring Chenin Blanc to the centre of the conversation and into the minds of the wine-buying public with events ranging from featured pours, bottles and flights of Chenin at restaurants and wine shops and special tastings to complete Chenin takeovers of wine menus‘, according to the media release from the Association.

Chenin Blanc has in recent years excelled through the Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge, a competition which is dedicated to Chenin Blanc that benefits all local producers, their employees, and consumers. This competition acknowledges how far Chenin Blanc has come in South Africa, reinforcing the economic and social benefits in the workplace to the employees, and offers consumers the best of the best.

Chenin Blanc will be in the spotlight during this year’s annual Diners Club Winemaker of The Year competition. This competition, held since 1981, encourages local winemakers to raise the standard of wines produced in South Africa. With Chenin Blanc in the focus, 2016 will see some of the best Chenin Blancs our country has to offer.

A number of research projects is focused on Chenin Blanc, including the quality and Sensory aspects of vines older than 40 years; in-depth chemical profiling of old vine Chenin Blanc wines and components associated with mouthfeel and aroma; a multicultural wine quality perception profiling; an investigation into consumer perceptions, familiarity and involvement/consumption of different Chenin Blanc wine styles; as well as modelling consumer risk behaviour during wine decision-making.

Forrester concluded that ‘Chenin has come into its own. Chenin has earned its stripes from the Northern Cape to Stellenbosch and from the Swartland to Robertson. With an increase in new plantings, a new enthusiasm for this variety can clearly been seen. And with older vines proving their worth and winemakers now more than ever in touch with Chenin, the future of Chenin Blanc is extremely exciting’.

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.whalecottage.com/blog  Tel 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@WhaleCottage  Facebook:  click here Instagram: @Chris_Ulmenstein