Indaba's Inimitable Chenin Blanc

While the Loire Valley may be the viticultural birthplace of Chenin Blanc, the variety has found a second home in South Africa. It is believed to be amongst the first vine cuttings that arrived here in 1655 during the time of Governor Jan van Riebeeck.

Chenin Blanc thrives in many of the country's designated WO (Wine of Origin) regions, producing particularly stunning wines in Stellenbosch, Swartland, and the Coastal Region.

Indaba's Chenin is produced using 100% Chenin Blanc grapes, grown in soils such as Table Mountain sandstone, decomposed Dolomite granite, shale, and red Karoo clay. Aged on its lees in a tank for five months with occasional lees stirring, while a small portion (1%) are whole-bunch pressed straight to 300-liter French oak barrels, where it ferments naturally and ages on the lees for a further five months.

We caught up with Winemaker Bruwer Raats, for his famously eclectic take on Chenin Blanc.

"It is well-known that Chenin Blanc has the ability to age well because of its low pH and higher acidity. With aging, Chenin Blanc becomes richer and more complex and shows that honey, hay, and spiciness make older Chenin Blanc so desirable. Chenin Blanc also can show great power with elegance and freshness, perfect for food…great acidity, lots of fruit and minerality, but not overpowering, and become very complex with aging."

"The Chenin Blanc style I prefer must show white and yellow fruit on the nose, combined with soft citrus flavors and mineral hints," says Bruwer Raats, owner and winemaker of Raats Family Wines and Indaba Consulting Winemaker. "The palate must show a bright entrance, richness on the midpalate, with a very fresh and clean finish that shows a well-balanced minerality and acidity. If you can produce a Chenin Blanc like this, it doesn't matter whether oak was used or not."

Our fresh, easy-drinking version offers vibrant flavors of honeyed pear, golden delicious apple, and luscious tropical fruit. Pairing beautifully with sushi, shellfish, roasted vegetables as well as sweet and sour flavors such as pad thai, you can get creative in the kitchen with Chenin (and even add some to your food!) by employing the assistance of spices such as tikka masala and cheeses such as herbed goats cheese and Humboldt Fog. 

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