Best of BC Chenin Blanc
Da Silvia Vineyards on Naramata Bench
A most versatile grape indeed is celebrated this month. With a history going back over 1000 years in the Loire Valley, its naturally high acidity and relatively neutral profile make it laudable for dry age-worthy table wines, sparkling wines, and sweet botrytised dessert wines. Let’s give it up for Chenin Blanc!
One of the many ‘other’ grapes that make up only a tiny fraction of our total production, Chenin Blanc is a rarity in British Columbia. A mere 36 acres can be found in the province, a faint echo of the variety’s strongholds in South Africa and the Loire Valley, where it constitutes respectively about 18% and 15% of total grape plantings.
Chenin Blanc buds relatively early, making it susceptible to spring frosts, and can fail to fully ripen in the coolest vintages. Fortunately, suitable conditions do exist in BC for Chenin Blanc to thrive. With the Okanagan’s dry continental climate, noble rot does not make a reliable appearance, and therefore dry wines are to be expected.
Apart from high acidity, this variety shares another quality with its genetic sibling, Sauvignon Blanc - vine vigor. Growers need to prune and tame this wild thing, in order to keep yields down and encourage depth of character. Older vines (a few decades or more) are prized for this reason, as they naturally become less productive. Some 57-year old Chenin vines (the oldest in North America) can actually be found in our very own Golden Mile Bench! Formerly part of the Road 13 portfolio, these grapes now go to Cedar Creek for their sparkling wine.
Two Okanagan producers have decided to invest in this ancient variety, planting some new vines this year. Michael Bartier, Winemaker and General Manager at Bartier Bros, talks about why he chose Chenin Blanc.
“I love Chenin Blanc, I used to work with the variety at Road 13, so I’m familiar with it.” But there’s a practical reason as well. “It’s cold hardy.” Their Syrah did not survive the deep freeze last year, so they’ve pulled the vines and put in just over an acre of self-rooted Chenin last month. “The risk there of course is phylloxera, which does exist in our valley. But we’ve got really sandy soils here, and phylloxera doesn’t like that.”
Self-rooted vines means the plants will have an extra level of protection should we experience another severe cold snap. Michael is optimistic for a modest inaugural crop in 2027, and while he remains open to what nature provides, the plan is to make a dry, single-varietal wine.
Just on the other side of Oliver, River Stone Estate Winery also put in 1 acre of Chenin Blanc this year, replacing some Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris blocks which succumbed to severe cold damage. Owner and Winemaker Ted Kane has always wanted to work with Chenin, and found the opportunity to do so in two ways: planting new vines as part of vineyard recovery, and finding a grower in Washington to source grapes for the 2024 vintage.
So what does BC Chenin Blanc taste like? You can expect a crisp, clean, refreshing expression with aromas and flavours of citrus, apples, green plums, some delicate white florals like chamomile, and a waxy, woolly element lovers of this varietal will recognize. Here are a couple examples, kindly provided by the wineries on request.
Featured Wines
Da Silva 2023 Chenin Blanc
From Richard and Twylla Da Silva’s Hidden Hollow Vineyard on the Upper Bench of Penticton, this 100% Chenin Blanc is crushed, cold soaked, and stainless steel fermented. Fans of Champagne will love this high-acid, finely honed, sharp and citrusy expression. Delicately perfumed with fresh citrus, tart apple, quiet additions of peaches and orchard blossoms, and a firm squeeze of lemon on the finish. A resolute, petrous salinity is present from beginning to end. This one is all about crispy austerity, jolting you out of winter torpor. Great for french fries, shellfish, or anything dressed with vinaigrette. High voltage and taut.
River Stone 2024 Good Neighbours Chenin Blanc | Wahluke Slope, Washington
Grapes were sourced from a south-facing vineyard on deep, sandy soils with proximity to the Columbia River. This is the first ever release of Chenin Blanc from River Stone, cool fermented in stainless steel with no lees contact. Compressed into a compact and fruity nose are lemon, apple, tangerine, apricot, pear, wax, and spice. Juicy ripe fruit fills out the medium bodied palate. The acid is quite modest, with a stone fruit finish, making this a very approachable and fruit-forward Chenin that will be a good match with chicken, spring rolls, or a cheese board. Fresh, round, and vibrant.
Just the difference between these two wines shows you a snapshot of the range to expect from Chenin Blanc. From the edge of a pen knife’s thin blade (Da Silva) to a saturated watercolour painting, (River Stone), even more styles await your keen curiosity. The fact that two very experienced BC winemakers are adding Chenin Blanc to their portfolio because of their love for the variety says a lot about how special this grape is. We are so fortunate to enjoy an incredible diversity of wines of all styles in British Columbia, and celebrating a locally uncommon varietal like Chenin Blanc is a great reminder of that. Keep exploring!
This Blog Post was written by our contributor: Matt Tinney with MT Wine Consulting (@mtwineconsulting).