{"id":13070,"date":"2016-06-18T06:26:00","date_gmt":"2016-06-18T11:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/winetrailtraveler.com\/blog\/?p=13070"},"modified":"2016-06-23T14:31:09","modified_gmt":"2016-06-23T19:31:09","slug":"wines-of-south-africa-chenin-blanc-tasting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/winetrailtraveler.com\/blog\/2016\/06\/18\/wines-of-south-africa-chenin-blanc-tasting\/","title":{"rendered":"Wines of South Africa Chenin Blanc Tasting"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Live<\/a>

Live stream, photo by Andy Neumeier<\/p><\/div>\n

On Friday June 17th,\u00a0\u00a0we participated in tasting six Chenin Blancs from different producers from South Africa. Winemaking has taken place in South Africa for close to four centuries. One of the most widely planted grapes is Chenin Blanc. This grape is used to make a variety of different wines.<\/p>\n

Accompanying our tasting was a live streaming broadcast hosted by Jim Clarke, a sommelier and a wine ambassador for Wines of South Africa, WOSA<\/a>. Jim talked about the wines and answered posted questions. Winemakers in South Africa chimed in with posting to the broadcast\u2019s stream that automatically posted to Twitter.<\/p>\n

Our group started the wines a bit earlier not wanting to pass up available wines for a meal. We paired two of the wines with baked salmon and baked vegetables. Both wines painted a background for the food and their acidity helped cleanse the palate.<\/p>\n

During these events, I like to write haikus rather than traditional wine notes. Jim mentioned the haiku format a couple times. For the wines tasted, here are the haikus.<\/p>\n

2013 Raats Old Vine Chenin Blanc haiku:<\/p>\n

Old Vine Chenin Blanc
\n<\/i>Smooth mouthfeel and full-bodied
\n<\/i>Peaches, caramel.<\/i><\/p>\n

\"Chenin<\/a>

Chenin Blanc pairs with many different foods.<\/p><\/div>\n

2015 Bellingham Old Orchard Chenin Blanc haiku:<\/p>\n

Old orchard Chenin,
\n<\/i>Stone fruit, minerality
\n<\/i>Lively in the mouth.<\/i><\/p>\n

2014 River’s End Chenin Blanc haiku:<\/p>\n

River\u2019s End Chenin
\n<\/i>Emphasis on juicy pears
\n<\/i>Velvet for seafood.<\/i><\/p>\n

2015 Terre Br\u00fbl\u00e9e Le Blanc haiku:<\/p>\n

Aftertaste lingers
\n<\/i>Honeysuckle highlighting
\n<\/i>Citrus enlivens.<\/i><\/p>\n

2015 Solms-Delta, Chenin Blanc haiku:<\/p>\n

Solms-Delta, Chenin
\n<\/i>Ripe juicy pears and sweetness
\n<\/i>With or without food.<\/i><\/p>\n

2014 Beaumont Hope Marguerite Chenin Blanc haiku:<\/p>\n

Apricots surround<\/em>
\nFrom aroma to finish.<\/em>
\nRocking chair on porch.<\/em><\/p>\n

Of course, everyone in our group had their favorites. My two favorites were the 2015 Terre Br\u00fbl\u00e9e Le Blanc and the 2014 Beaumont Hope Marguerite Chenin Blanc. I thought that both of these wines were a bit more complex and very food friendly. All of the wines are wonderful to pair with a rocking chair on a porch especially during the summertime. These Chenin Blancs are available throughout the United States; however, you may need to do some hunting. They also have great price points ranging from about $10 to less than $25. Most were priced in the mid-teens.<\/p>\n

If you are looking for refreshing white wines for summer gatherings, consider Chenin Blancs from South Africa.<\/p>\n

Cheers,
\nTerry<\/p>\n