Standard Bank and the Chenin Blanc Association recently hosted an exclusive Chenin Blanc wine tasting festival in Stellenbosch, Western Cape that gave Standard Bank customers a taste of the wines that have become a national treasure.
The bank’s professional, private and signature banking clients were invited to attend the festival that was held at Spier Wine Farm, where they were treated to a curated wine tasting festival featuring some of the country’s best Chenin Blanc wines.
The festival showcased Chenin Blanc wines that have come into their own in the last eight years giving attendees an opportunity to experience a range of excellent Chenin Blanc varieties in a beautiful setting. Chenin Blanc has taken its rightful place among the best wines in the country with our local styles also becoming the benchmark for Chenin Blancs around the world.
At the festival, Standard Bank’s discerning customers enjoyed different forms of the Chenin wine, including savoury and fresh-tasting varieties, and wines that represent a twist on traditional oak and full-bodied styles.
Chenin has a great sense of diversity and can be paired with a range of food dishes. It is a dynamic space where the brand has have seen interesting tweaks on old wine styles, which will made for a very exciting line-up at the festival.
About 18% of South African vineyards consist of Chenin grapes, representing a significant part of the country’s wine industry. Chenin vineyards reach right into the heartland of farming in South Africa and the wines have garnered wide international acclaim as the quality of our Chenin Blanc promotes the quality of South African wine around the world.
Theunis Duvenhage, the Head of Client Coverage at Standard Bank, says he personally enjoyed savouring the wines that emerged as winners from the Standard Bank Chenin Blanc 2021 Top 10 Challenge. “The Challenge has spurred competition between local wine producers who are producing spectacular Chenin Blancs that have become lighter in alcoholic weight and have both length and a nice finish.”
Standard Bank is a South African and African bank that gets involved in sectors where it can make a positive difference. That’s why it is committed to supporting the Chenin Blanc association. About 5 million litres of Chenin Blanc are consumed locally and 15 million are exported, which boosts export revenues as well as industry and employment. “The bank’s sponsorship of the annual Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge and the Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Festival benefit the winemaking sector and the communities where Chenin Blanc producers and wine growers operate.”
Chenin Blanc has been dubbed South Africa’s white wine language and Standard Bank’s select customers we’re invited to acquaint themselves with the wine’s increasingly sophisticated taste, adds Duvenhage.
“Guests who are passionate about wine were able to learn more about the flavour profile of each wine, region of origin and the story behind the label. To give them a ‘finish’ that’s nearly as good as that of the new wave of Chenin Blancs, they we’re treated to great entertainment as well as catering at the festival.”
