Confessions of a Wino

Peter May suggested that I get off my Pinot Noir high horse and start thinking seriously about Chenin Blanc.  But this is like asking me to trade in Brigitte Bardot for Barbra Streisand.  Whilst the latter is an interesting multi-faceted personality, a highly talented actress, and capable of singing almost any song, you just wouldn’t would you?

Meanwhile the Bardot of grapes is unreliable, sulky, difficult to master, but if you woke up next to her you would reach for your mobile and ring in sick (well in her prime, anyway, which sort of proves my point).

But perhaps I am missing Peter’s point.  The intellectual challenge of giving a winemaker a blank canvas like Chenin Blanc could create a satisfying long term relationship, rather than a one night stand with some Pinot Noir or other, that leaves one feeling, frankly, used.  Sex delivers the shortest high of all drugs, love perhaps the longest.

This South African from Western Cape is a bit one dimensional, actually, although quite sexy.  Maybe more Uma Thurman than Barbara Streisand.  Pure pear juice with an unusual and slightly flat acidity.  It leaves the same sort of taste on your tongue as licking both electrodes of a 9v battery.  But that is actually quite alluring and sort of explicit like hardcore pornography, and for only £6.17 per bottle, it seems like a very cheap high.

I am not going to give up Pinot Noir, but I do promise to try more Chenin Blancs.  Thanks, Peter, for alerting me to a new type of fun.  A third way….

Dassen View 2007 Chenin Blanc came to me from the Sunday Times Wine Club crisp refreshing whites case (£60).

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 at 4:28 pm and is filed under south africa. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.