Chenin Sauv. Blanc

[SOH-vihn-yohn BLAHN, SOH-vee-nyawn BLAHNGK]
White wine grape that is widely cultivated in France and California as well as Italy and South America. They have noticeable acidity and a grassy, herbal aroma and flavor. They are crisp, flavorful wines that generally should be drunk young. The best of the French wines made from 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc grapes are produced in the Loire Valley at Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume. They are crisp and tart, sometimes with a noticeable flinty characteristic. Although not the primary grape used in the great Sauternes wines (Sémillon is, in most cases), Sauvignon Blanc plays an important role in these rich, sweet wines. In California, Robert Mondavi gave this grape a push when he introduced an oaky-styled Sauvignon Blanc he called Fume Blanc. Now the second best-selling varietal in California after Chardonny, Sauvignon Blanc wines are made in a variety of additional styles-from those that are crisp and unoaked to Sémillon blends. Steps have been taken over the last decade to lessen the pronounced grassy characteristic of California's Sauvignon Blancs.

[SHEN-ihn BLAHN (BLAHNGK)]
French white-wine grape that is the basis for many superior wines coming out of France's Loire region. These include medium-sweet wines from Vouvray and fragrant sparkling wines from Saumur. French Chenin Blanc has an intense, fascinating aroma; its high acid enables some of these wines to balance the sweetness and age for years. Chenin Blanc is widely grown outside of France in South Africa and California and is planted to a lesser extent in Chile, Australia, and New Zealand. In South Africa, it is often referred to as Steen.

Bernardus
Duc D Arnauton Graves
Emmolo
FreeFall Winery
Graham Beck
H Bourgeois Sancerre
Kim Crawford
La Mision
Lava Cap
Lockwood
Mud House
NO
Oyster Bay
TeAwa
Terra Blanca
Wither Hills

Ballentine
Bonny Doon
Champalou
Clos Le Vigneau
Coriole
Aubuisieres Silex
Foxen Wickenden
Kiona
KWV Steen
La Craie Vouvray
Pichot Vouvray
Vinum Cellars