Chenin Blanc Pairings

There are typically 100 pleats on a toque blanc – the chef’s hat.  The pleats supposedly represent the number of ways a trained chef can cook an egg.  Keeping eggs on hand, allows us to whip up breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner with no advanced planning.  Since eggs are instrumental in a number of desserts from ice cream to crème brûlée, they really are the most remarkable single ingredient you can keep on hand.  Simply throwing in leftover cheese, veggies, and herbs into an omelet, frittata, or even a scramble can make a great meal with many flavor options.  In the winter when greens are lean we like to combine bacon, kale, red onion and blue cheese.  Cilantro, black beans, and tomato or salsa give a Mexican twist. Springtime means asparagus, mushroom and prosciutto.  Eggs are never boring and can be accompanied by toast and jam, green salad, roasted potatoes, or soup depending on the time of day.  Here’s a hint to make your egg dishes even more compelling.  Remove from heat and then toss edible flowers on top to infuse flavors.  Try sage, arugula, or Thai basil flowers.

To complete the easy meal masquerading as fancy, you need a versatile wine.  This wine should have varied flavors, balanced acid, and a broad audience. We have always been impressed with the many forms of Chenin Blanc – dry, varying levels of sweetness, sparkling.  Of course there are other versatile grapes. Riesling comes to mind and while you CAN get sparkling versions, they are not widely available.  Chenin Blanc boasts a dazzling array of potential flavors depending on style and development – floral, chamomile, honey, vegetal, wet wool, quince, pineapple, tangerine, peach and apricot, lanolin, lemon, herbs, toast, and menthol.  Because Chenin Blanc has high acidity, the best bottles also have the potential to age.  It is said to be “simultaneously taut and luscious, austere and voluptuous.”  We find it to be both nuanced and accessible – a great wine for simple dishes that taste complex.

A sparkling Chenin Blanc might be one of the most versatile wines in your cabinet.  Pair it with your soufflé for brunch, lunch or dinner. It is even a great aperitif.  Even dry Chenin Blanc is lush enough to seem off dry.  Coupled with refreshing acidity, it is easy to pair with food and can be quite a crowd pleaser.

The classic growing region for Chenin Blanc is the “garden of France,” the beautiful Loire Valley.  Like many French wines, you are unlikely to see the varietal name “Chenin Blanc” on the label.  Reference the chart below for label clues.  Chenin Blanc is also produced in dry, sweet, and sparkling styles in South Africa where the grape is called Steen, but more typically labeled Chenin Blanc for export.

Give this Chenin Blanc Pairing a try.   A table set with a chilled glass of Chenin Blanc and a soufflé says, “It took me a week to plan this meal”.  No one has to know that you really walked into your kitchen, hands on hips, and said, “Hmmm, what have I got for dinner?”  And if you are worried about your soufflé, serve a glass of that Chenin Blanc as an aperitif.  By the time dinner is served, no one will care if the soufflé fell.This post is part of Tasty Traditions.