International Drink Chenin Blanc Day

In 2014 the first Drink Chenin Blanc Day was celebrated on June 12th in New York and 10 other cities across the USA. This campaign was the brainchild of a group of USA retailers and sommeliers. The Chenin Blanc Association joined the campaign in 2016 and Wines of South Africa (WOSA – Europe and USA) is also actively supporting the campaign by e.g. facilitating special Chenin tastings and activities. Although the date of 15th of June for 2019 was thus picked for the northern hemisphere summer, celebrating the freshness of Chenin blanc, it actually put the spotlight on the diversity of Chenin blanc.

Created by winemakers Kate Norris and Thomas Monroe, founders of Portland, Oregon’s Division Winemaking Company and Southeast Wine Collective, #DrinkChenin Day celebrates the quality and potential for a grape once relegated to lesser vineyards for bulk production and used for table wine in its home region of the Loire Valley.