Mission Possible: the hunt for South Africa's forgotten Chenin Blanc

The oldest vineyard was found to be in Stellenbosch, in a plot belonging to Anna Kirsten of Westridge, which was established in 1942.

The largest block of vines belongs to Kaapzicht, also in Stellenbosch, and the smallest to Mrs Kirsten. The average age of the five oldest blocks is 60 years. All the data for the project was sourced from SAWIS (South African Wine Industry Information & Systems), which monitors South African wine production to ensure accuracy.

Ken Forrester, chairman of the Chenin Blanc Association, said: “We wanted to raise awareness of older Chenin Blanc plantings because these awesome vines produce some of the finest Chenins in the world. It is also important to preserve such old blocks, and to give them the respect they deserve – for they may yield less, but the quality is outstanding. Many of our members are now looking for these plantings to incorporate into their wines.”

The association plans to bottle wines made from these historic plantings to be sold at an auction in 2010 to raise funds for The Pebbles Project, which helps children with special needs.

Ken Forrester added: “These vines represent our past and our future. They are testament to the faith shown in them by these producers over the years, they cared for them when many others would have ripped them out, and the exciting new wines that they will produce are undoubtedly going to add massive momentum to the excellent reputation South Africa has for its Chenin Blanc”.

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