Chardonnay

Chardonnay is the most planted crop of any wine grape in the United States. Given that, it only makes sense that it is the country’s largest selling wine variety as well with consumers.

Chardonnay is only one of the types of white wine.

Chardonnay History

When you talk DNA, chardonnay is related to the Pinot Noir grape, and like many other grapes, probably arrived in France with the Romans.

Chardonnay is successfully grown in the Burgundy region of France, and some of the bottles there can fetch quite a pretty penny. The grape has been widely planted here in the states when grapes were first being planted. Most of the chardonnay grapes in the early and mid part of the 20th century were used primarily in inexpensive blends (think Carlo Rossi Chablis). With the influx of premium wineries, chardonnay was more widely produced as its own variety on its own merits.

Chardonnay Styles

Chardonnay runs the whole gamut style-wise. On one end you have the crisp, fruity, acidic chardonnay — oak barrels didn’t get anywhere near this during the fermentation process. It’s a lighter straw color and flavors are more green apples and tart citrus with a "clean" mouthfeel. On the other end of the spectrum you have the chardonnay that looks like liquid gold. The oak is used heavy-handed and it’s gone through a process called malolactic conversion fermentation to give it a thicker, more viscous feel in the mouth. The flavor profile on this style ranges more baked apple, caramel, buttery toast, vanilla and popcorn.

To Drink or Not to Drink

Chardonnay is a strange animal here in the United States. To some it’s the epitome of what wine should be — a glass of chardonnay and some cheese and the world is good. It’s the wine that many beginning wine drinkers turn to and start with on their trek through trying different types of wines. For others, chardonnay is the pariah — they are offended that such a wine would touch their lips. This is the ABC crowd (Anything But Chardonnay).

Chardonnay Trends

Trends in wine affect chardonnay immensely. The pricey bottles that were heavily oaked were the in-style in the early to mid 1990s. Now the trend is leaning more towards less oak which would allow the wine to pair better with food. Of course, the more oak that’s used in the winemaking process the more money you’re going to spend on the bottle itself … oak barrels cost money, and the winery has to charge for their use which translates into higher bottle prices.

Try It!

Try some different chardonnays. Since styles have a big range, search out different types and brands. If you have a wine shop in your area, talk to the people there, they can help you find some different ones that range across the different styles. You can spend quite a bit of money on some high end domestic chardonnays. For example, Marcassin, Kistler and Peter Michael make versions that release around $75 per bottle, if you can even find them. That’s not to say you should buy these all the time, but it’s fun to try them out. On average, chardonnays will average between $12 and $25 a bottle, with a few falling above and below this price point. If you haven’t tried chardonnays for a while give them a try. If you tend to migrate towards one style, think a little outside the box and do some experimenting and expand your horizons. You’ll have fun.

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