Tag Archives: vouvray

Grape of the Week: Chenin Blanc

In a nutshell:

  • An incredibly versatile grape that can produce delicious white wines in a wide range of styles – dry and lean, rich and aromatic, sweet and luscious, and bubbly sparklers.

Where it is primarily grown:

  • Loire Valley, France
  • South Africa

Wine Styles:

  • Dry
  • Off-dry
  • Sweet
  • Sparkling

Also Known As:

  • Vouvray
  • Savennieres
  • Steen

Fun Facts:

  • Chenin Blanc is the most widely planted white grape variety in South Africa.
  • South African chenin blanc is almost always dry.
  • Savennieres (France) is almost always dry.
  • Vouvray (France) is almost always off-dry. If it’s labeled “Sec” it means it is dry. If it labeled “Demi-Sec” it is medium sweet. If it the label doesn’t specify, assume it is off dry.
  • French sparkling wines made with chenin blanc are called “Cremant de Loire”.

Wine Texture:

  • Body: Medium to Full
  • Acidity: High
  • Alcohol: Medium
  • Sugar: Dry to sweet

Flavor and aroma profile:

  • Dry: lean style with flavors of pear, quince, apples, ginger, and chamomile
  • Off-dry: ripe pear, ginger, jasmine, passion fruit, and honeycomb
  • Sweet: baked apple, honey, toasted almond, mango, ginger, and orange
  • Sparkling: quince, yellow apple, plum, ginger, and floral

You might like this grape if you like…:

  • Riesling (look for Vouvray and demi-sec styles)
  • Chardonnay (look for dry South African styles)
  • Champagne (look for sparkling Cremant de Loire)

Food Pairings:

  • Salads
  • Fish and shellfish
  • Chicken
  • Cream sauces
  • Spicy Asian cuisine (sweeter styles)
  • Lemon desserts

Recommendations:

Reyneke Chenin Blanc 2017 (Dry Style) – $26

Champalou Vouvray La Cuvée des Fondraux 2016 (Off Dry Style) – $22

Domaine Huet Vouvray Haut Lieu Demi-Sec 2018 (Medium Sweet) – $38

Domaine Huet – Huet Vouvray Haut Lieu Moulleux 2018 (Sweet/Dessert) – $42

Domaine Huet Huet Vouvray Petillant Brut 2014 (Sparkling) – $27

Wines To Serve This Holiday

The holidays are a time for celebration, and celebrations are a time for drinking…and eating! If you are still trying to figure out what wines are best to serve with your holiday meals, I have some excellent suggestions that will pair beautifully with any dish you will be preparing.

Feast of the Seven Fishes (or any seafood dish)

Image result for Bodega Garzon Albarino 2018, Uruguay

Bodega Garzon Albarino 2018, Uruguay ($18) – I grew up in an Italian household with the prohibition against eating meat on Christmas Eve. Instead, we indulged in the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Bodega Garzon Albarino is a perfect wine to pair with any of your Christmas Eve seafood dishes. It is medium to full bodied with bright flavors of citrus, peach and pear and a slightly creamy finish. This crisp, yet luscious wine will compliment, and not overpower, any seafood dish.

Charcuterie/Cheese/Antipasto

La Battagliola Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetrano DOC 2017, Italy ($15) – I love to kick off my holiday with a glass of bubbly and appetizers. Not only is Lambrusco a perfect pairing with any meat and cheese board, that beautiful dark red color is festive and seasonal. This red sparkler is dry with beautiful aromas and flavors of strawberry, plum and cherry. It is fuller-bodied and higher in alcohol and tannins than many other Lambruscos, which is why I love it. It is big, flavorful and fresh.

Honey Baked or Glazed Ham

Image result for Champalou Vouvray La Cuvee des Fondraux 2016

Champalou Vouvray La Cuvee des Fondrau 2016, France ($22) – If you are preparing a honey-baked or glazed ham, you will want a wine with just a touch of sweetness to stand up to the sweet glaze. This Vouvray (made from Chenin Blanc grapes) is only slightly off-dry with just a touch of residual sugar. The sugar is well balanced by bright acidity, and has flavors of apple, honey and pear. This wine is a fresh and fruity, easy-drinking compliment to a sweet/salty ham dinner.

Game Birds/Poultry (Duck, Turkey, etc.)

Image result for Mohua Pinot Noir 2015, New Zealand

Mohua Pinot Noir 2015, New Zealand ($16) – Pinot Noir is an excellent compliment to medium weight dishes like salmon, chicken, duck, and turkey. It also works really well with roasted vegetables and mushroom dishes. This Pinot is from Central Otago, New Zealand, a region that is producing excellent cool-climate Pinots at great prices. This wine is everything a Pinot should be – medium-bodied with fresh flavors of strawberry, raspberry and red cherry with a touch of herb and spice on the finish.

Beef (Filet Mignon, Prime Rib, etc.)

Image result for Orin Swift Machete 2016, California

Orin Swift Machete 2016, California ($48) – Not only is Orin Swift’s Machete my favorite wine label ever, it is also my favorite wine in this price range, and can easily stand up to heavier meat dishes. The Machete is a blend of Petite Sirah, Syrah and Grenache. It is inky dark in the glass with rich, jammy flavors of blackberry, blueberry, fig and boysenberry, complimented by a dash of vanilla and cinnamon. It is a big, bold and fruit-forward California wine that can just as easily be enjoyed as a meal in itself, or paired with a tasty filet mignon.

Dessert

Image result for Royal Tokaji Late Harvest 2016, Hungary

Royal Tokaji Late Harvest 2016, Hungary ($20) – The wine enjoyment shouldn’t end after the entree! Bring out the Christmas cookies, cakes and pies, then crack open a bottle of Late Harvest Tokaji. This wine is pale gold with sweet tropical fruit flavors of mango, pineapple, citrus, peach and honey. Although it is a dessert wine, it is not cloying or syrupy sweet. It has a beautiful lightness and freshness to it that lifts the sweetness.

Cheers and Happy Holidays!!!