The fear of sweetness is a thing. As soon as we step out of the dry-dry-dry zone the compulsory thought of “I don’t like this” spreads like wildfire, or maybe it is the thought of I SHOULDN’T like this? Or perhaps it is a reminder that once you got a hold of a cheap Riesling with way too much unbalanced sweetness and swore never again. It is time to put that past you and embrace the residual sugar, cus it can really be a bomb thing. And a great complement to food.

This Chenin Blanc from the Vouvray in the Loire valley in France is one of those times. Like all whites from Vouvray, this is a 100% Chenin but also a demi-sec, which tells you it has some sweetness to it but in the most beautiful way. With lovely aromas of yellow apples, melon, and peach the sweetness adds to the body and fruitiness of the wine which balances the high acidity beautifully. The combo of sweetness and acidity makes this wine a great pairing with many types of food. It can hold up against umami, works with both fish and lighter meat dishes, it’s just a great all-around food wine.

Color: pale lemon

On the nose: yellow apple, melon, peach, nectarine

Flavor profile: yellow apple, melon, peach, nectarine, wet stones

Tannin: –

Acidity: high

ABV: 12.5%

Grape: Chenin Blanc

Agriculture: ecological and biodynamic

Winemaking: hand harvested in October, vinification in partly neutral oak and partly steel tanks

Price:  18 EUR