Chenin Blanc is an ancient, noble grape, born in the Loire Valley around the 9th century. Planted in 1919 at Chalone Vineyards in Monterey County, it thrived for decades in obscure, dry, solemn glory. But then it became a parody of itself – at least in California – and most people forgot about its regal origins.
In the 1970s and 1980s, enthusiasm for blended jug versions of Chenin was at its zenith, and bulk producers sourced high-volume Chenin from the 35,000 acres plus of it under vine at its peak.
Plantings of Chenin shrank as tastes changed and producers and growers focused on producing higher-end reds like Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. By 2000, there were just over 19,000 acres of Chenin under vine. Today, the plantings of Chenin are far fewer – around 4051 acres.
That's a slight increase since 2017, though, when there were just 3557 acres of Chenin wafting their aromatic, effusive glory around the Golden State. What happened in the decades between boom, bust and rising Renaissance?
In a nutshell, Chenin went from a blender used for industrially produced, toothache sweet wines to a solo contender, bottled by passionate Chenin advocates who understand the glory of its brightness, texture and versatility. And it is happening just as our appetite for well-made, crisp white wines kicks up.
First sommeliers, and now consumers are realizing that this white wonder can not only be a great alternative to their more familiar white mainstays, it can beat them on price.
"Chenin Blanc is a hot grape right now, for sure," says Matt Stamp, owner of Compline Restaurant and Compline Wine Shop in Napa. "American Chenin for a long time was pretty bad. Now, it's spectacular. You've got some really star stuff coming from folks like Tegan Passalacqua, Jaimee Motley, Mike Scheiffer and Kara Maraden, the Maître de Chai guys, and more."
Forging a new path
Brands that have been blamed for Chenin's "death," are also helping resurrect it.
"Historically, from the 1940s through the 1990s, my family and Charles Krug Winery, was the largest producer of Chenin Blanc," says Angelina Mondavi, head winemaker and co-proprietor of Napa's Charles Krug Winery. "From our records, we were making just shy of 300,000 cases of Chenin Blanc."
Eventually, Mondavi says, Chenin lost its momentum, and Cabernet Sauvignon replaced their Chenin plantings. Fast-forward two generations later, and Chenin is back in the family stable. Mondavi gained access to the OG plantings her grandfather Peter Mondavi Sr. made in 1947, and opted, she says lightly, to pursue "a different style" this time around.
"Drier, crisp white, instead of one with residual sugar," Mondavi says. "We planted three acres in Yountville where historically Chenin Blanc thrives, some from the original planting to come full circle and bring my grandfather's legacy back to its original roots in Napa Valley."
At Pine Ridge Vineyards in the Stags Leap District of Napa, winemaker Josh Widaman admits that their Chenin project feels personal.
"Early in my winemaking career, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon held more sway than Chenin," Widaman says. "But during my first harvest, there was one white wine that myself and the rest of the interns working harvest clamored for, and that was Pine Ridge's Chenin Blanc and Viognier blend."
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