Wine recommendation: Savennieres

When I began my wine studies a few years back, sitting in class often came with a bit of duress. I was there to learn all the nuances of what made wine tic, but I came to grasp there was a lot more to pick up. The world of wine can be intense and daunting. Wine is now being made more globally than ever before and as such its vastness brings with it much diversity, which is good, but also a little confusing.

For most of us, the staples are what we come to know early on. Think cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay or even Sideways stalwart pinot noir. These varietal names resonate as they’ve been promoted and marketed so as to make this vast wine world somewhat easier to navigate. But throughout this comfort and branding, oftentimes some of the best kept secrets fall through the cracks.

Had I never sat and done my wine training, Savenniers might still very well be a mystery to me. I’m happy it isn’t.

I remember the day we tasted the bottle that got me excited, Clos du Papillon 2008 Savennieres. It was during my WSET Diploma night class in 2013. We were tasting French whites when this wine passed me by.

At first it was super unique on the nose. Chenin blanc, the grape varietal for this style of wine, often has a wet wool damp mustiness to it. Since I had no frame of reference, the smell partly caught me off guard. I say this in a very pleasing way mind you. Most white varietals can come across as quite neutral. Think most whites from Italy — they’re buttery in the case of California chardonnay or they’re aromatic like riesling and muscat.

Chenin blanc kind of falls in between or at least in its own category. The mustiness is very apparent once you know what you’re looking for and it’s this smell that I’m totally drawn to.

Terroir is this very common term thrown about by sommeliers, winemakers and oenophiles as a way of describing how wine comes from its place of origin. In thinking with this approach, Savennieres, which is produced in the northern part of France, is a cool climate wine with high acidity and high alcohol.

Anyone who knows me well (and I hope to get to know you all well) knows that the Loire is by far my favorite region. I believe it showcases the widest range of styles anywhere in the world. Savennieres to me is the best of what they do — yes even more so than Sancerre (the home of sauvignon blanc).

Tucked away up on the northern slopes of Anjou near the town of Angers, Savennieres finds itself as one of the only areas in the Loire which produces a “dry” style of chenin blanc as most are either moelleux (sweet) or made into bubbles.

Savennieres is a wine meant to age as it possesses all the qualities (a balance of acid, alcohol and good wine making) needed to lay down for years or even a decade or two. With this cohesion, Savennieres wines can take on a whole new life of their own in the bottle, and as wine writer Jancis Robinson MW once wrote “turn into a wine with a haunting cocktail of hedgerow and brimfire.”

Some wines are meant to be expensive while others are meant to be had on a hot summer night or just to chug back while at home watching a movie. Others are best when accompanied with delicious food. Savennieres falls into this latter camp. Consumed with friends or on your own with a nice meal I’m recommending you give this style of wine a try. It’s funky and a bit different which to me makes it special.

Savennieres to try

Here are some bottles worth keeping your eyes on:

• Nicolas Joly, Coulée de Serrant

• Dom du Closel, Clos du Papillon

• Damien Laureau, Roche aux Moines

• Patrick Baudoin

• Dom des Baumard

• Dom de la Bergerie, La Croix Picot

• Dom du Closel, La Jalousie

Where to buy them

You can find the best selection of these up at Kitsilano Wine Cellars, located at 2239 W 4th Ave. I find they have the widest selection of French wines.

You can also head over to Elephant on Powell Street and taste some Domaine des Baumard from This is Wine School co-owner and sommelier, Kelcie Jones. Her list is one of the best in the city, a treasure of fun descriptors will leave you laughing while you peruse.

• Sommelier advice: Published wine director, Jayton Paul, is a friend of mine. We finished our WSET diploma together. He’s currently BC’s Best Sommelier as well as an excellent basketball player. On his wine list, he’s currently pouring Ferme de la Sansonniere, ‘la lune’ chenin blanc, 19, coteaux-du-layon , anjou, fra (1.5L) - $268

Not quite Savennieres, but pretty damn close. Try and catch it if you can.