Colloquium about the chenin, in Faye d’Anjou August 28 2015

Blurred origins but a connection with the Savagnin. The first time the word chenin has appeared was into the writtings of Rabelais ; in Gargantua 1534 Book 1, chapter XXV “Et avec gros raisins de chenin estuvèrent les jambes de Frogier, mignonnement, si bien quil fust tanstot guerry.”

So, the main question is : when did the term grape variety appeared ? Would this refer to a more precise variety, a family or a color ? In 1809 Bosc had written “we tend to grow only the Pineau Blanc in Maine et Loire” and this was true until the Second World War started.

Since 1950 we lost half the surface area of chenin while cabernet has known a huge expansion (by 10). Dry chenin (in Anjou with Savennières and Saumur included) is 5% of the production of wines in Anjou. All chenin taken together ; 25%. How and why did the cabernet supplanted the chenin in Anjou ? What is the future of the chenin ? You can read more about this colloquium here.