Anything but Chardonnay?
In my wine business, Chardonnay is a very polarizing wine. It’s the wine people seem to love . . . or love to hate.
In the 1980s, large commercial wineries nearly tarnished Chardonnay’s reputation by prioritizing profit over quality. They produced wines that were overly creamy, buttery, and excessively sweet, leading to the rise of the Anything But Chardonnay (ABC) movement.
This backlash significantly diminished Chardonnay’s popularity among wine experts and enthusiasts for at least a decade.
Luckily, many winemakers learned from the ABC movement, and chardonnay is now considered the most popular grape variety in the United States and the most widely planted white wine grape across the world.
I enjoy featuring Chardonnay in wine tastings because it showcases a broad spectrum of flavors. Often referred to as a wine that’s “made in the winery,” Chardonnay’s profile is significantly influenced by winemaking techniques. The grape itself is relatively neutral in flavor and aroma, allowing it to adapt to various climates and styles, making Chardonnay somewhat of a blank canvas for winemakers to paint in any style.
Despite what many think, not all Chardonnay is buttery. The buttery texture often associated with Chardonnay comes from malolactic fermentation, a process where malic acid is converted into lactic acid. When winemakers allow this fermentation, the result is a richer, rounder texture. Without it, the wine remains tart and crisp.
Oaked Chardonnay is frequently linked with heavy, oaky flavors and rich tropical notes.
If you’re not a fan of vanilla and toasted oak, try an unoaked Chardonnay, which is typically crisp, floral, and elegant.
When it comes to food pairings, oaked and unoaked chardonnays pair very differently. Oaked chardonnay: bolder chardonnay wines call for heavier foods such as crab cakes, halibut, starchy vegetables and mushrooms.
Unoaked chardonnay: the lean, no oak style of chardonnay is great with raw seafood like oysters and sushi.
Whenever I meet someone who says,I don’t like Chardonnay, I believe they just haven’t discovered the right style that suits their unique tastes.
If you are not a fan of Chardonnay, have I convinced you to give it another try?
I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions.
Please e-mail me at
marleah@marleahalpers.com – your question might be featured in my next wine
education segment!