This is what good wine from the Steen grape tastes like

Dry wines made from Steen (the South African name for Chenin Blanc) are crisp and fresh, with an incomparable aroma of green apple, greengage and quince. Often somewhat earthy and mineral. Noble sweet Chenin Blanc wines trade the green fruit for peach, pineapple, acacia and honey.

Chenin Blanc is not a simple grape. Not for the winegrower, because it ripens very late and can't stand bad autumn weather at all. If the vines aren't pruned enough, Chenin Blanc produces a mediocre wine. If it ripens too early, it isn't much better either.

There are a few things you should know about Chenin Blanc. Unlike most other white grapes, Chenin Blanc keeps remarkably well. The best French Chenin Blancs need more than 10 years to develop and can still be enjoyed decades later. Drink it too young and you probably won't buy another bottle. But have patience, and Chenin Blanc will reward you handsomely.

Chenin Blanc originally comes from the Loire valley, where it is still planted on a fairly large scale. The most interesting vineyards lie in Vouvray, Anjou and Savennières. Winemakers there make their Chenin Blanc both bone-dry and intensely sweet.

Chenin Blanc is also widely planted outside France. It is the most widely planted white grape in South Africa, where it is called Steen. It is also common in North and South America. New World winemakers try to make it in a style that can be drunk fairly young.