The Winery Gorham Vineyards of Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara of California

Discover the grape variety: Chenin

Chenin, also known as pinot de la Loire Valley (pineau), is the flagship grape variety of the Loire Valley. It would have found its first origins in Anjou where it would have been cultivated by the monks of the Abbey of Saint-Maur located between Angers and Saumur since the 6th century. chenin is a great white grape variety which likes particularly the chalky soils called here stones of tufa which were used for the construction of the castles of the Loire Valley. Its bunches are medium-sized, fairly compact and its berries are more or less small. It is an early variety, which resists well to diseases. Chenin has the particularity of being able to participate as well in the elaboration of dry white wines as of sweet white wines or sparkling wines. Perfectly structured by the acidity, elegant, with a complex nose and aromas of yellow fruits, dry fruits, citrus fruits, white flowers, honey... the wine resulting from the chenin is rather lively and nervous, which allows him a good potential of guard. Chenin covers about 10,000 hectares in France, and is very productive in South Africa where it covers more than 26,000 hectares.