Chenin Blanc in 3 Easy Facts

One: The most famous, vibrant chenin blancs of the world come from the Loire Valley of France. The Loire Valley is also the ancestral home of this grape, which arose as a natural cross of savagnin and an unknown parent.
Two: The best chenin blancs are stunningly complex wines with shimmering acidity and flavors of apples and honey. Chenin blancs are made in a variety of degrees of sweetness, from bone-dry to fully sweet.
Three: Chenin blanc was the most widely planted white grape in California before chardonnay took its place in the 1970s.

Napa Valley grows the most cabernet sauvignon in California.

Answer: True.

Although the Napa Valley is a small region and produces just 4% of all California wine, it does lead in cabernet acreage. According to the California Agricultural Statistics Service, Napa had 21,665 acres of cabernet sauvignon as of 2018. Second in line was San Luis Obispo County (which includes Paso Robles) with 14,752 acres. Yes, Sonoma is third with 12,478 acres.

País

País (pie EECE) is the historic grape behind Chile’s table wines. Originally known as criolla chica, pais (the name means “country”) is the same as California’s mission grape. Based on DNA typing, both pais and… Continue reading

Chenin Blanc in 3 Easy Facts

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