There is no wine quite so triggering and controversial as Chardonnay.
Sure, you can claim Merlot, or even Pinot Grigio, might hold this distinction, but looking at the history of wine drinkers and growers, and you’ll find that the grudge held against and the passion for Chardonnay is the strongest.
Perhaps the most universal wine in the world, and the easiest to find no matter what airport, hotel or small town bar you are in, Chardonnay is rife with controversy. Love it (like Christine of Girls Go Grape), obsesson it (go #chardcore), or run screaming, this grape has some Gossip Girl legends going for it.
From the thin, inexpensive bulk wines of the south of France and California, to the the richly fragrant and textured wines of Burgundy, there really is a Chardonnay for everyone – that will not compromise on taste, quality or yum factor.
Personally, I was a card carrying member of the Anything but Chardonnay club for years – a victim of too many bad glasses (bottles?) or thin, acidic plonk, or overly oaky, buttery goldenrod and viscous liquids that were equally disappointing to my taste buds.
Now, as both a well educated wine consumer, and an experienced taster – I gravitate tot he higher acid, bright fruity gems of the Sonoma Coast, Anderson Valley and Burgundy (particularly Chablis), as well as Oregon which is increasingly more and more “Burgundian”, while Burgundy becomes something else entirely.
For my Rombauer Chardonnay fans, who enjoy that buttery, creamy style, the creamy rich and powerful Chardonnays of Margaret River, Western Australia are a beautiful way to taste the nuance and longevity without drinking “butter bombs”.
Chablis lovers will delight in Tasmanian Chardonnay, which can be a great way to save over the increasing costs of French examples.
For the best Chardonnay wines, cast a wide net – it is, quite literally the most widely planted grape in the world, and you can find it nearly everywhere.
This sturdy workhorse grape is hardy, adaptable, and malleable – and is the backbone for white wines and sparkling wines alike.
What to look for
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California
From fresh and bright Sonoma Coast, to buttery and oaky Napa, California has a lot to offer Chardonnay lovers. In warmer regions, you will get tropical fruit, less acidity (brightness), and fuller bodied. In cooler areas like the Sonoma Coast, you will get mineral driven, bright citrus, and lighter bodied wines.
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Burgundy, France
Everything from Chablis like to rich, bold examples of stone fruit, ripe apple and vanilla. Usually aged in oak for a substantial amount of time, adding to the nuttiness.
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Chablis - France
Bright, steely - fruit driven. Typically very little or neutral oak used. Steely, flinty, bright and acid driven.
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Willamette Valley - Oregon
Today’s Willamette Valley Chardonnays lie somewhere between a racy, mineral-driven Chablis and an unctuous, buttery Cali Chard. The best of these bottlings show structure and minerality like you might expect from Burgundy, with the bright and vivid fruit of an American wine. Prices generally range from $30 to up over $100, with many bottles showing impressive ageability.
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Margaret River - Australia
Easily customize every aspect of your list from widget styles but also you can give custom colors to each item as well.
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Tasmania - Australia
Another cool climate, you'll see that low oak, bright acid, steely quality.
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Chile
The Old World meets the new here, with great minerality and bright fruit. Chile is one of the best bargains left in the world of Chardonnay!
Obviously there are hundreds of other regions out there with everything from great to terrible examples of Chardonnay, but this gives you a go to guide to go out and try some.
Don’t be afraid! Hate butter? Head to Sonoma Coast or Chablis for a refreshing, bright, minerally wine.
Love butter? Go see some of the more intense regions of the Côte du Beaune region of Burgundy Napa.
Something in between?
Check out Oregon, Italy and South Africa for some fun wine experimentation!
Hang up the “Anything But” part of your card, and replace it with “Always Be” Chardonnay!
More like this
Retire the ABC and drink Chardonnay!
Golden, buttery, oaky.
Bright, citrus, steely.
Tropical oasis, alternative to Sav Blanc.
All of these things can be used to describe Chardonay.
So why are you still saying Anything But Chardonnay?
Domaine Joseph Drouhin – Crossing Borders
Bit by bit, over the last 25 years, the great French houses have been quietly creeping in to the Americas. From Canada, down to California,
On the origins of Claret – A primer on Bordeaux
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