Chenin Blanc

NEW YORK—Remember being mean to the nerdy, unpopular kid who sat in the front of math class? (Or were you that kid?) And remember how dumb you felt when he became a billionaire selling his Web site to Google? Well, it turns out that grapes are like people. If you only stick to the popular ones—Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon—you’re missing out.

Chenin Blanc is an oft-maligned (or just ignored) white varietal, and some still think of it as something Almaden put in a jug in the 1970s. But when lovingly cared for on its home turf, France’s Loire Valley, it’s capable of truly great things—the rounded, fruity profile of these wines makes it my favorite late-summer substitute for Chardonnay.

Loire winemakers from the major regions—Savennières, Vouvray, Anjou, to name a few—all handle Chenin Blanc differently, and it can shine when made dry, sweet (it’s responsible for some legendary dessert wines), or sparkling. For now let’s stick to two terrific dry wines I tasted a few weeks ago with Byron Bates, the manager and wine director of Bette in Chelsea, a top art-world watering hole. If there were a Chenin Blanc Fan Club in the neighborhood, he’d be president.

Bénédicte de Rycke Jasnières Cuvée Louise 2004 ($24) is a sensible starting point, since it invites you in with a lightly floral aroma—think of a distant honeysuckle bush—and tastes of melon and lemon zest. It would be a clever match for pasta with seafood. The intensity level steps up with Agnès and Renée Mosse Anjou Le Rouchefer 2004 ($24). This is serious wine for the money—the darker yellow, almost brassy color prepares you for something with a little kick, and the wine delivers concentrated apricot and candied fruit flavors all tied up in a ribbon of smoke. And the finish really lasts, always the sign of a good wine. If you can’t find it right away, just wait—the ’05 version arrives in select wine shops in October.

Ted Loos, Executive Editor of Art & Auction magazine, is the former features editor of Wine Spectator and has written on wine for Bon Appétit, Town & Country, and many other publications. He's the author of Town & Country Wine Companion: A Tasting Guide and Journal (Hearst Books; $12.95), to be published this fall. On Sept. 5, Ted reviewed Stonecrop Sauvignon Blanc Martinborough 2006 for ARTINFO.