CHENIN Blanc, Riesling and Gewrtztraminer have lost their social standing in recent years, losing out to other wines such as Chardonnay. Even so, some very good examples can be found.
Chenin Blanc is a wine whose spiritual home is in the Loire Valley - although, these days, about three times as much is grown in both South Africa and California. It is a grape that is easy to grow and is very productive.
The wine produced from this grape can range from very dry to very sweet - the sweetest being when the grape has been affected by noble rot. Key flavours include pear, apple, wet wool and honey.
Riesling was once very popular. At the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century, such wines were costing more than first grown Bordeaux, but wines like Blue Nun have down-valued it somewhat. Although it is still unfashionable, it is undergoing something of a revival.
The wine has a distinctive petrol aroma - more so on an older wine - along with strong lime tones. It also has quite a high acidity, which can be lost through ageing. Again, this grape can be affected by noble rot, which makes a very sweet wine. It is also quite possible to get a wine that tastes both sweet and dry!
Gewrtztraminer boasts probably the most distinctive bouquet of any white wine - that of rose petals. The grape is actually pink in colour, providing a darker colour of wine than riesling and chenin blanc.
The wine is both full bodied and strongly flavoured, making it an ideal partner to strongly flavoured foods. It is also probably the only wine that actually smells of grapes. Key flavours include rose petals, lychees and spice, with pineapple appearing on those sweet, noble rot wines.
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