Chardonnay, Please…

The top-selling white wine in the United States today is Chardonnay. There are many good reasons for that — it is an easy-going, pleasant, fruity, sometimes creamy, and sometimes spicy wine. With all that going on, it hits the right spot on many, many palates. In the beginning of my exploration of wine, my favorite one was Kendall Jackson Chardonnay. It was lush and approachable at any time. As it turns out, today it is the number one selling Chardonnay in the country.

Chardonnay is grown in many places in the world. Major plantings are found in California, Australia, Burgundy, and Languedoc-Roussillon in France. As you can imagine, these very different climates provide varied growing seasons and temperatures. Chardonnay will deliver a serviceable wine whether grown in a colder climate or a warmer climate, as evidenced by the vast array of growing regions. It will deliver entry-level wines that are easy drinking to the greatest white, the Grand Crus of Burgundy. (Yes, Chardonnay is the grape also known as White Burgundy.) Because of the wide variety of growing climates, Chardonnay becomes a great vehicle to express terroir and a great canvas for the winemaker.

Chardonnay provides a broad spectrum of flavor and styles. It can vary from steely with cool climate austerity to tropical and luscious. There is a Chardonnay for almost every occasion. It pairs well with roast chicken and other white meat. With a full, rich, new world wine, try rich seafood. Oaky Chardonnay pairs well with smoked fish and garlicky dips such as guacamole. Another friend of Chardonnay can be spicy, coconutty, South East Asian food.

Here are some well-crafted value wines for you to explore and try:

2012 Smoking Loon, Steelbird Unoaked, $8
2012 Amici, Olema Chardonnay, Sonoma County, $15
2012 Beringer Chardonnay, $18
2012 Columbia Crest, Grand Estates, $12
2011 14 Hands Chardonnay, Washington, $12
2013 Jacob’s Creek, Adelaide Hills Reserve, $13

It could be party time!

Enjoy!