Jan 24 2010
Chardonnay – Wine Guide
Chardonnay is the best selling white wine in the United States. As more and more people continue to adopt this wine as one of their favorites, the wineries have been increasing production.
Some common flavors found in Chardonnay are apple, pear, citrus, melon, oak, and a buttered taste.
White wines like Chardonnay go best with seafood, pork, and poultry dishes. Also, any dish with a butter or cream base pair quite well with Chardonnay.
Chardonnay is thought to have originated from Lebanon.
Chardonnay grapes are quite easy to grow and produce a large quantity of wine. This is very beneficial to wineries.
The ideal temperature to serve Chardonnay is just under 50 degrees F, probably about 47-48 degrees F.
Most champagnes are made with some Chardonnay grapes. The light, fruity flavors make for a tasty sparkling wine.
Chardonnay is currently being heavily produced around the world in areas such as France, California, New York, Australia, and New Zealand.
When making Chardonnay, their are two decisions that wineries must make. The most important is the option to use malolactic fermentation or not.
Using malolactic fermentation, harder malic acid will become softer and create a buttery flavor in the Chardonnay. If the winemakers choose not to use malolactic fermentation, the Chardonnay will have a more green apple flavor.
The second decision that has to be made is the amount of oak influence that will be added to the Chardonnay. The oak influence is added by barrell aging the wine.
The oak can add a toastiness to Chardonnay which the grapes alone don’t provide. The treatment of the oak will vary and therefore the toastiness will vary accordingly.
The oak treatment can add many flavors. Some of the flavors are smoke, cream, coconut, and vanilla.
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