Don't Fear the Grape

Chardonnay, while one of the most popular of wines, is not a favorite of Patrick’s or mine.

Chardonnay is a neutral grape, and very terroir sensitive. It’s malleability allows winemakers to greatly influence it’s flavor profile. Because of this there is no universal style of Chardonnay.

Currently most Chardonnay is produced following the French Burgundy style, using malolactic fermentation and oak barrel aging to produce wines that are considered buttery and smokey with hints of spice. But Chardonnay fermented and aged in stainless steel casks tend to express more fruit forward aromas and flavors.

Chardonnay can be paired with a wide range of foods depending on it’s style. Lighter Chardonnays are commonly paired with roast chicken or turkey as-well-as delicate fish and seafood dishes. Heavily oaked Chardonnays will pair better with smoked fish, spicy southeast Asian cuisine, garlicky dishes.

While believed to have originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, Chardonnay is now grown wherever wine is produced, from Austria to New Zealand.

In France, Chardonnay is the second most widely planted white grape variety. It is used to produce Burgundy, Chablis and Champagne. While Burgundy is more often than not oaked, Chablis rarely is.

Though many varietal forms of Chardonnay are produced in Italy, for most of its history in Italian winemaking Chardonnay has been used as a blending grape.

In North America, Chardonnay is grown in 30 U.S. states as-well-as British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec in Canada. It is the dominant white wine variety of the area, overtaking Riesling in 1990.

While introduced into Australia in the 1830s, Chardonnay only really took off in the 1950s. To compensate for the very warm climate, richness is often enhanced by the use of oak chips and addition of acid during fermentation.

Chardonnay was New Zealand’s most widely planted grape variety from 1990 till 2002 when Sauvignon Blanc surpassed it.

In South Africa, Chardonnay is the 3rd most widely planted white wine grape behind Chenin Blanc and Colombard.

In the 1990s, Chardonnay became the second most widely planted white grape variety in Argentina. And in Chile, it has surpassed Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Vert to be the most widely planted white wine grape.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Unoaked Chardonnay: www.unoakedchardonnay.com

Our other podcasts:

Animation Station: www.animationstation.info
Crash! Bang! Pow!: www.crashbangpow.com

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