Wine of the Day for January 12, 2010
Chardonnay
The weather promises to warm up here this week, so I’ll wrap up today with a chilled white wine again and tomorrow perhaps I’ll move on to a luscious red. The great thing about this blog is I don’t know from day-to-day which wines I’m going to focus on, so it’s a new experience for me each day, and I hope an enjoyable one for you too.
Chardonnay is grown all over the world, although it originated in Burgundy (and is the varietal found in the wine White Burgundy). It is also an important grape in Champagne (as I mentioned in an earlier post).
Chardonnay grapes are very hardy; a primary reason for its popularity and versatility. Chardonnay wines are always dry, so if you lean toward drier wines, this grape is a good choice. When aged in oak, it will give the wine complexity, depth, full body with a buttery finish, but should also involve a balance of oak. If you are drinking a wine and the oak and toast is all that you notice, it has likely been left in the barrel too long.
Select a wine aged in oak if you are a fan of buttery aromas and flavors. However, if you prefer your Chardonnays light crisp and unoaked (or if you are not a Chardonnnay fan right now, but want to grow into enjoying it) you will lean toward Chardonnnays that were partially aged in oak. Winemakers today are blending Chardonnay with other sweeter varietals such as Riesling or Muscat to add lighter fruit dimension and to satisfy the masses. The Chardonnays that we’ve had in our tastings that are blended with Riesling or Muscat are much more popular than the fully oaked Chardonnays. My feeling is if we are expanding one’s palette and helping them grow in appreciation of wines, fantastic!
Common aromas and flavors with Chardonnay are apple, butter, pineapple, vanilla, tropical fruit. (Mmmm, just writing those sounds delicious … I might have to open up a bottle of Chardonnnay later.) Pair this wine with fruits, grilled freshwater fish, buttery mashed potatoes, and I’ve had it with a fantastic recipe that I’ve added to my Recipes section for your culinary pleasure.
