Pineau d’Aunis, sometimes called Chenin Noir although unrelated to chenin blanc, is a historic Touraine variety making light red wines once sought by the kings of both France and England according to Pierre galet. France’s total plantings, 442 ha/1,091 acres in 2011, has remained steady and is concentrated around Tours in the Loire Valley. The variety is one of the many sanctioned for the red and rosé appellations of Touraine and Anjou but is used only to a limited extent, mainly to bring peppery liveliness and fruit to rosés, although in ripe years it can yield a fine red, too, notably in Coteaux du loir. See also Coteaux du vendômois.
