White wine was forgotten when Bourgueil in the central Loire Valley obtained its AOC in 1937. Now that mistake is being corrected. Many producers in Bourgueil already make white wines from 100% chenin blanc and sell them as vin de france or IGP. But soon they will be able to put Bourgueil on the label.
The white wines made from 100% chenin blanc will be integrated into the appellation. Demand for white wines is increasing, and chenin blanc thrives just as well here as in Chinon on the other side of the Loire River, which has always been able to make both white and red Chinon wines.
Chenin Blanc is also a grape variety that is increasingly gaining interest among consumers. Bourgueil is aiming for a regulatory framework that includes hand harvesting, which makes the sorting of the grapes easier, they say, a maximum of 6 grams of residual sugar, no chaptalisation, and commercialisation of the wines no earlier than March the year after the harvest.
Read more: vitisphere.
Read our Grape Profile on chenin blanc: Chenin blanc, a fantastic grape shared between France and South Africa | Grape Profile.
