There’s No Blanc in Chenin!

Vouvray is made entirely from Chenin grapes from the Loire Valley. It’s primarily a dry to off-dry wine with mineral notes and some citrus. Chenin can also be made in a very sweet style, and is one of few white wines that can be aged. When we visited a Chenin winemaker in France, he showed us some bottles that were from the mid 1860’s still in their wine caves. (They looked kinda funky and had strange sediment or weird growth, but he swore they still drank well.) We liked a similar wine from Domaine Le Haut-Lieu when we tried it at an Indian restaurant recently, and decided to pair it with the lentils. The sweetness of the wine, along with its minerality are a great match for the spicy, ginger flavors of in the curry seasoning. Don’t be scared off by a little sweetness, especially with spicy food. Le Haut Lieu is a well-known producer and Vouvray is a very sought-after style of wine. This vintage got 96 points from both Parker and The Wine Spectator, so it ain’t cheap. Expect to spend around $40 range for it. But it soooo worth it! Most 96 point reds would cost you double that, if not more!  Give it a try – you won’t be disappointed.