This week’s wine is one I have been saving since our trip to Napa Valley last year.

We went on a number of wine tours while we were there and stopped at Casa Nuestra. “Casa Nuestra” is a Spanish name that means “Our House.” My husband and I fondly refer to this winery as the hippie winery.

Casa Nuestra Winery

There was a big psychedelic painting on the barn when we arrived and the overall vibe was very laid back. This is one of the only wineries that we got to do a barrel tasting at, which was really cool. My friend almost had us in on buying the barrel and splitting it with the group, but I opted to get a few bottles of their Chenin Blanc instead.

Chenin Blanc Cork

What first intrigued me about the Chenin Blanc, was a poster on the wall from the White House. In 1987, President and Mrs. Reagan requested 15 cases of the Chenin Blanc for the annual White House picnic. You can read Casa Nuestra’s newsletter article from 1987 here.

2011 Casa Nuestra Chenin Blanc

Since then I have seen a few other posters like this at other wineries. When your wine is served at the White House you receive a commemorative letter. At one point I wanted to find a list of all of the wines ever served at the White House and try them, but I will have to save that for my next blog.

I brought this wine over to try with my friend Tracy and here are our tasting notes:

• The Chenin Blanc had a mild flavor with a bit of a tang to it.
• It gets better as you drink it, you need to have about a half a glass before you start experiencing the full flavor. Make sure to serve it chilled.
• Overall, this is an all-purpose wine that you could use for any occasion.

I will definitely be ordering more since that was my last bottle. You can order the 2011 Dry Chenin Blanc here for $30/bottle in increments of 3, 6 or 12 bottles.

For more Wine of the Week posts, click here.