Wine of the Week: Pacific Rim NV Chenin Blanc

I have been curiously considering bottles of Pacific Rim Chenin Blanc at Trader Joe's for a couple of months now; The bright teal caps and Japanese-inspired art are eye-catching, to say the least. So, I was particularly thrilled when my cousin Lisa gave me a bottle of the non-vintage as a gift last week! Some might know Chenin Blanc as the grape of the Loire Valley, but despite the "French" grape, and the Asian name, this wine is made right here in the United States by the Pacific Rim winemakers out of Washington state. The color is light straw, almost greenish, and the first thing I noticed when I picked up the glass was the slight effervescence clinging to the sides. This wine is bright, but also off-dry. In fact, I was caught off-guard by how sweet it tasted at first! Upon further tasting, though, I was able to pick up the slightly bitter citrus flavor which, along with the acid, balances the wine out nicely. There are also apple or pear flavors present. The nose, described as floral on the bottle, is slightly herbal to me. I will admit that I am not as familiar with Chenin Blanc as I am with other grapes, so I found this wine to be very interesting. I think it retails for a little more than $10 at Trader Joe's, so I won't rule out picking up another bottle on a night when I'm looking for something to pair with seafood. Pacific Rim is more well-known for their Riesling, though (their website is rieslingrules.com), so now I am tempted to try their Dry Riesling first!