Wild Valley Taste The Difference Chenin Blanc 2011

Grape:       Chenin Blanc

Price:         £9 - £6

Store:         Sainsbury's

Country:    South Africa

Region:      Wellington

ABV:          13.5%

  

The time of change is upon us once again.  The temperature has taken a definite step downwards, the wind has picked up and the rain is more persistent.  The inevitable transformation of trees as they shed their summer coats coincides with my growing urge to leave crisp white wines behind and hunt out full bodied, spicy reds. 

Now, I do appreciate the beauty in this season's change and why for some people, Autumn is their favourite time of year, however, I am not one of those people.  I dislike the short notice we get between light and warm evenings, to dark and wet nights;  I know which one I'd rather walk the dog in.  The problem is, I do love Winter and you can't get there without passing through the dampest, most turbulent season first.  So, my plan to fend Autumn off as long as I can is to keep drinking like it is Summer until things become twinkly and crisp.

This week's, I'm determined to not quite let go of the Summer just yet, choice is a surprisingly good Chenin Blanc from Sainsbury's Taste the Difference range which also comes with Fairtrade accreditation. The Chenin Blanc grape is grown worldwide but is most notable in France, South Africa, New Zealand and USA.  It is very versatile and will respond to different climates by presenting very different flavours (much like Reisling or Chardonnay) and can be made in styles to fit the spectrum all the way from sweet to bone-dry.  This makes confidence in buying Chenin Blanc difficult because there can be confusion with what to expect;  a problem compounded by a market laden with cheap and nasty bottles which gives Chenin Blanc a bad name.

Medium lemon in colour, this wine smells gently of pineapple and soft citrus. Other blended tropical fruits can be detected in the background and the sensation of crispness also comes across. The first attack contains the aforementioned fruit with a pleasant portion of acidity present. It feels medium or even light in body, making it very easy to drink in these, 'late summer months'.  A surprise comes at the end with a slightly oily or buttery texture which adds a touch of depth before the short but well structured aftertaste.

If you aren't quite ready to admit defeat, this wine will make it easy to block out the rain hammering on the window or the growing pile of leaves at the front door.  I am also grudgingly prepared to admit that it tastes just as well in front of a roaring fire.

Sainsbury's have numerous stores throughout the UK and can also be found on line at www.sainsburys.co.uk.

Zalze South Africa Chenin Blanc 2011

I have decided to continue with the barbecue season wines, even if the weather hasn't.  The red wine drinkers have been placated for the time being at a reasonable price (see my previous two blogs) and now your attention should be fixed on satisfying the 'green grapers'.

 

This weeks offering is an interesting white from the Coastal Region of South Africa.  I bought mine in Tesco and at the time of purchase was being advertised at £5, although the price tag professed an original price upwards of this.

On the nose this was immediately fruity, just like the back label said it was going to be.  Hints of pineapple and other sweet fruits such as peach and kiwi were immediately prevalent, although additional scents of spice, white pepper maybe, were also in there.  Accompanying the fruit is an alternative but very distinct whiff of minerals or slate.

The first mouthful delivers the fruit in a hurry, giving the taste equivalent of the sweet fruits originally detected however, this gives way quickly to a very dry and acidic taste.  The further into the bottle we got, the more the fruit stopped fighting, eventually succumbing almost entirely to the acidic.  My personal preference steers away from this but Julie specifically commented on how she liked this quality and so I was happy to let her finish the bottle, allowing me to turn my attention to something different. 

On the surface this may seem a slightly negative review but I would prefer to look at it as a new discovery.  I now know that as a 'green graper,' Julie likes the acidic and dryness that comes from a young Chenin Blanc and I relish the challenge of being able to match other wines to her taste.  If you served this at a barbecue, your dry wine aficionados will stay happy, especially if you have some goats cheese to nibble at the same time.