Wine Down Thursday: California Chenin Blanc
June 11 from 6 to 7:30pm
Sampler: $20/person

Chenin Blanc has long been celebrated in the Loire Valley, but a quiet revolution is underway in California. A new generation of producers is proving that the Golden State offers something equally compelling — site-driven, age-worthy Chenin Blancs with a distinctly Californian voice.

We will explore three producers at the forefront of this movement. From the cool, limestone-rich benchlands of Chalone in Monterey County, Fine Disregard's 2020 showcases the variety's extraordinary mineral tension. Sandlands' 2023 draws from old-vine Amador County fruit, where the Sierra Foothills deliver Chenin with grip and soulful depth. Finally, Haarmeyer's 2024 St. Rey SRV represents one of the Central Valley's most passionate advocates for the grape, crafting wines of striking precision and energy.

These are not footnotes to Loire classics — they are statements in their own right.

Featured Wine:
2020 Fine Disregard Chalone Monterey County
The 2020 Fine Disregard Chalone from Monterey County showcases the rugged, high-elevation terroir of the Chalone AVA with intense mineral character and bright acidity. This Chenin Blanc features vibrant citrus and stone fruit flavors layered over honeyed, waxy notes, reflecting its cool-climate origin and limestone-rich soils. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a textured, savory finish, it balances freshness and depth, offering a distinctive, terroir-driven expression of Monterey Chenin that stands out for its complexity and long aging potential.

2024 Haarmeyer St Rey
The 2024 Haarmeyer St. Rey Chenin Blanc from Clarksburg is Craig Haarmeyer’s signature entry-level Chenin, sourced from young vines at the Sutter Ranch Vineyard in the coolest part of the Clarksburg AVA. Sandy and clay soils combined with marine breezes create a classic Sacramento Delta expression: fresh, lemony, and channeling orchard fruit (apple, pear, quince) with zippy acidity and a waxy lanolin texture. Foot-trodden, native-yeast fermented, and bottled unfiltered without fining, it’s one of our favorite wines with a creamy midsection and clean mineral finish. For experts, it’s an essential study in how Chenin expresses cool-climate, low-alcohol terroir with Loire-like freshness at an accessible price.

2023 Sandlands Vineyard Amador County
The 2023 Sandlands Chenin Blanc Amador County, from Tegan Passalacqua’s project focused on old-vine, historic California varieties, blends Judge Bell and Story Vineyards—one planted in 1979 at 1,500 feet on iron-rich volcanic, quartz, and decomposed granite soils. At 12.4% ABV, it’s aromatic and lifted, with floral nuance, white flowers, citrus peel, chalk, mint, and slate. The palate offers pear, Meyer lemon, toast, and vanilla crème brûlée, with perfect acidity, a rich, lush mouthfeel, and a long, supple, precisely mineral finish. Practicing organic, neutral French oak aging, and native yeast fermentation underscore its place-driven purity and aging potential.