Chenin Blanc

Also known as

Steen

On old plates as

Franche, Verdurant

Chenin Blanc is a white-skinned wine grape variety from France's Loire Valley, known there since at least the 15th century and recorded under names such as Pineau de la Loire and, in South Africa, Steen. DNA studies connect it to Savagnin.

Today it is grown mainly in the Loire Valley and South Africa, which together account for the bulk of worldwide plantings, with smaller plantings in California, Argentina, Australia and elsewhere.

Its trademark is high acidity, which lets winemakers craft dry, off-dry, sweet and sparkling wines. Early-picked examples taste of green apple and lemon; riper versions move toward peach, pineapple and mango. In the Loire it appears as dry Anjou, off-dry Vouvray, Crémant de Loire sparkling wine and noble-rot dessert wines such as Coteaux du Layon. South African old-bush-vine versions are especially regarded.