Common synonyms: Pineau de la Loire, Chenere, Pinot Blanco (South America), Steen (South Africa), Fransdurif (Dutch)
Parentage of the grape: indigenous to the Loire Valley, France, perhaps related to Pineau d’Aunis (Chenin Noir)
History of the grape: Modern day French oenologist Pierre Galet states Chenin Blanc has been in France at least since the 9th century. Its origins are believed to be in Anjou, then it made its way to Tauraine (planted by Lord Chenonceaux, perhaps hence its name), and other parts of the Loire by the 15th century, and then into the Rhone. In the mid 1650s, Jan van Riebeeck of the Dutch East India Company brought vines to the Cape colony of South Africa. It was given the local name “Steen” after a history of mislabeling that plays out like a game of Telephone gone wrong: “Listan” which morphed into “La Stan” and then “De Steen.” Listan is Dutch name for a grape, yes, but the Palomino of Spain. What they in fact had
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Common synonyms: Pineau de la Loire, Chenere, Pinot Blanco (South America), Steen (South Africa), Fransdurif (Dutch)
Parentage of the grape: indigenous to the Loire Valley, France, perhaps related to Pineau d’Aunis (Chenin Noir)
History of the grape: Modern day French oenologist Pierre Galet states Chenin Blanc has been in France at least since the 9th century. Its origins are believed to be in Anjou, then it made its way to Tauraine (planted by Lord Chenonceaux, perhaps hence its name), and other parts of the Loire by the 15th century, and then into the Rhone. In the mid 1650s, Jan van Riebeeck of the Dutch East India Company brought vines to the Cape colony of South Africa. It was given the local name “Steen” after a history of mislabeling that plays out like a game of Telephone gone wrong: “Listan” which morphed into “La Stan” and then “De Steen.” Listan is Dutch name for a grape, yes, but the Palomino of Spain. What they in fact had was Fransdurif, a.k.a. the Chenin Blanc of the Loire. It eventually got to “Steen” from “Stein” because of its early resemblance to German “Stein wein.” In 1963, C.J. Orffer, chief viticulturalist at the University of Stellenbosch, formally declared Steen’s leaves match those of Chenin Blanc, and the name has stuck since. In the 1960s, a sweet blend of Steen and Clairette Blanche known as Liberstein gained international recognition. In the latter half of the 20th century, dry versions of the wine came into prominence and proliferation. In other parts of the world, Chenin Blanc was already gaining a foothold.
Characteristics of the grape: Dry: light to medium-bodied, apple, pear, cantaloupe, green melon, banana, lemon, sometimes faintly cinnamon. Sweet: candy apple, nuts, figs, caramel, brown sugar, toffee.
Regions where the grape is currently important: Loire: Anjou, Saumur, Savennieres, Vouvray, Coteaux du Layon, Bonnezeaux, Quarts de Chaumes. South Africa, Caliofornia, Washington, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay.
Type or types of wines the grape produces: dry, off dry, sparkling (especially Cremant de Bourgogne), late harvest, fortified, Botrytis sweet ~Amanda Schuster
– Description from
Amanda Schuster
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