My wine consultant friend, Ruth Osborne, often wears a cap embroidered with the words "chenin blanc." As someone who proudly includes hats from Toad Bakery and Celine Dion's 2017 UK tour in her collection, I understand headwear as a signifier of personal brand. Ruth isn't the only wine professional to extol chenin's virtues. But why?
Chenin blanc shape-shifts with soil and climate perhaps more than any other grape. This chameleon quality sets wine enthusiasts aflutter, as does the fact that it's a late-ripening variety with good acidity. It lends itself to a whole spectrum of profiles, from dry to sweet. Versatile, aesthetically ambiguous, and, as my friend's hat testifies, cultish in its appeal, it is the Tilda Swinton of grapes.