Chardonnay is the most popular type of white wine, found all over the world. The flavor, taste, and aroma of it will vary depending on where it was made and what processing methods were used.
Chardonnay originated from the Burgundy and Champagne areas of France. Although white Burgundy is a popular wine that is prepared with Aligote, a lesser known grape, the fact remains that white Burgundy can’t be made without the use of Chardonnay grapes. They can also be used in making Champagne and other types of sparkling wines. Although Chardonnay wine is the most popular use, there are several other uses for the grape that lead to some truly fine wines.
In appearance, Chardonnay grapes are green in color with thin skins. The grape is a result of the Pinot and Croatian Blanc grape, which are both now extinct. The Chardonnay grape, however, is a major player in the wine-making world. As a result of its popularity, the making of this fine wine has spread throughout Europe and other locations of the world such as Australia and California. The grape variety also grows quite well in South Africa. The richest and most complex Chardonnays are American and French, which are also among the most preferred white wines.
Chardonnay is usually fermented and aged using oak barrels that help to bring out the vanilla flavor the wine is well known for. It can also be aged and fermented using bottles, although it won’t age quite as much as red wine. Once bottled, it will be good for many years, but it can suffer from fatigue sooner than most reds.
Almost all Chardonnay wines are meant to be chilled, making them work extremely well with dishes that contain butter and cheeses. The wines also have less acid content than other white grapes which makes them work well with seafood. There are numerous foods that you can pair Chardonnay with, which is what makes it so popular.
Here at Rembrandt’s, we offer three different Chardonnays on our menu, and we often feature others. The ones we keep in stock are Grayson Cellars 2017 Chardonnay and Frank Family Vineyards 2015 Carneros Chardonnay (both from California) and Dipinti 2016 Unoaked Chardonnay, which is Italian with a different flavor than most because it isn’t aged in oak barrels. Come in today to try one of these three exceptional wines, and watch our Facebook page and Instagram for our feature wines each week.