For the last 30 years, Montlouis-sur-Loire-based François Chidaine has been a pioneering voice in organic and biodynamic viticulture. He has also established himself as one of the world’s premier interpreters of Chenin Blanc.

When he first took over the family estate, he began the process of converting to organic and then biodynamic farming. The results were immediately apparent — there was more fruit, more minerality, more raw energy. The wines started to really jump out of the glass with gorgeous ripe fruit and vivacious acidity.

After years of farming organically and biodynamically, he felt there was more to explore. Today, François is one of the wine world’s pioneers of regenerative viticulture: a no-till farming approach where permanent cover crops of indigenous and sown plants coexist with the vines. The undisturbed cover crop increases soil health and actually helps the vines to achieve phenolic and sugar ripeness at a more synchronous rate.

This ultra-intense approach means every bunch under his care reaches its maximum potential. Harvest, of course, is done by hand, and the Chenins are all direct-pressed for fermentation in stainless steel.

Today, we encourage you to jump into the magical world of Chidaine with his 2023 Chenin d’Ici. This is 100% estate fruit from younger vines on the region's famous tuffeaux soils. The wine is vinified and aged entirely in stainless steel tanks to capture an extremely zippy, lifted, and deeply mineral Chenin Blanc. It's a perfect and refreshing white for the coming spring.

François Chidaine, VdF Chenin d’Ici, 2023 $27.99