The answer is Chardonnay! More than 24 million cases were sold last year with the next two contenders (Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) down around 12 million cases each.

The answer is Chardonnay! More than 24 million cases were sold last year with the next two contenders (Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) down around 12 million cases each. So let’s talk just a bit about green-skinned grape varietal used to make the white wine that we love so much. It is believed to have originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced. The Chardonnay grape itself is very neutral, with many of the flavors commonly associated with the grape being derived from such influences as terrior (dirt), fermentation method/style and oak. It is vinified in many different styles, from the elegant, "flinty" wines of Chablis to rich, buttery Burgundian style which are high in alcohol (>13%) and then to New World (California, Australia) wines even higher in alcohol (>14.5%) with massive oakiness complementing tropical fruit flavors.

Chablis style (aka Oregon style) uses oak sparingly, rarely has malolactic fermentation (MLF) and is typified by high acidity. Fresh green apple aromas and musty wet stone characteristics develop with age as well as honeyed notes. If oak barrels are employed they are typically neutral with a light toast. These Chardonnays are great with food. Our 2004 Foreplay and any of our Chardonnays from the Rogue Valley AVA are great examples of this type of wine.

With Burgundy style Chardonnays, we tend use new oak barrels (typically medium toast) with partial or full malolactic fermentation. Because these wines are harvested at higher brix levels we see alcohol levels around 14% with a rounder mouth feel i.e. less crisp than their Oregonian counterparts. Our Naughty Chardonnay (Columbia Valley Washington) uses UC-Davis clones typical of Washington Chardonnays vs. Dijon clones which take longer to ripen, thus allowing them to produce wines that have better balance. Although similar to California chards they have higher acid levels with a bit more creaminess in mouth feel.

Moving on to California, can we say, “Burgundian style on steroids”? Expect very high brix levels, high alcohol (around 15%), big in mouth feel, 100% new oak with medium toast, vanilla, butter, pineapple, coconut and other tropical fruits. These are big, flavorful wines that are best imbibed alone as they can overpower many foods. If you are lucky enough to have saved a bottle of our 2003 Virgin Chardonnay (Columbia Valley Washington) it is a great example of this type of wine.

Let’s remove terrior and climate from the discussion and focus specifically on the winemaking decisions. More oak (from newer barrels and increased toasting of the oak barrels) increases these components: caramel, cream, smoke, spice, coconut, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla. Allowing the MLF to occur produces buttery flavors and some other desirable characteristics which include: acid level reduction, masking of vegetal character, and increased flavor complexity i.e. nutty, honey, vanilla, leather and spice. Limiting or preventing MLF allows the fruit flavors to shine on their own and enhance fruit flavors like those of apple and pear.