Divine

Loire

In our Magazine

Chenin Blanc

When the court of King Henry II of England held sway over the Loire Valley in the mid-12th century, Chenin Blanc was already weaving its golden threads through the vineyards of Anjou and Touraine, a grape as mercurial as the river that shaped its cradle. Cultivated since at least 845 AD by Benedictine monks at the Abbey of Glanfeuil, it has long balanced its monastic origins with an aristocratic flair—an elusive duality that continues to intrigue devoted palates. Ask any aficionado, and they’ll smile knowingly: trying to pin down a single expression of this enigmatic variety is a fool’s errand. With its chameleon-like capacity to shift between bracingly dry, honeyed sweet, and elegantly sparkling, Chenin Blanc’s character hinges on terroirs of tuffeau, flint, or schist—each coaxing out nuance in acidity, texture, and minerality. Its natural high acidity allows it to age with grace, acquiring layers of wax, quince, and hay that rival Old World royalty. For those who wander the Loire in autumn, when the morning fog kisses botrytized berries in Vouvray or Coteaux du Layon, the light is softer, and the wines hum with a quiet reverence. Discover more hidden echoes and subtle notes in the stories that follow.