Tag Archives: Chardonnay

Six wines you should keep in house

18 Saturday Nov 2017

Posted by in Holidays, Newspaper Column 2017, Uncategorized

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Some of us real winos keep a lot of wine around the house. Some winos have a basement or cellar or electronic coolers to store wine. Some crazy (or very serious) winos move from one city to another and realize they have a lot of wine.

But most people don’t buy by the case or half case. I know serious wine aficionados who buy a bottle or two at a time. There is nothing wrong with either approach. But with the holiday season fast approaching, maybe it’s time to keep a small supply on hand.

grape-sense-logoI’d suggest you always keep six bottles of wine in your home. It keeps you prepared for any meal and any guest. The list should include two reds, two whites, a Rose’ and a sparkling wine.

It’s easiest to start with the two reds. One of those reds should probably be Cabernet Sauvignon. Cab goes best with steak and big flavors. Any decent wine shop and even liquor store will offer several Cabernets at reasonable prices below $20. Mondavi, Louis Martini, Concannon, and many others offer good value and varietally correct wines.

Your second red wine should probably be on the lighter side. Personally, I’d recommend a Pinot Noir. Pinot is lighter on the plate. It’s excellent with seafood and other dishes not quite as bold as beef entrees. There are lighter style Pinots, think Oregon and Burgundy, and bigger bold Pinots often from California. If you want something other than Pinot, try a Spanish tempranillo, French Beaujolais, of Italian Dolcetto.

It’s easy to start the whites with Chardonnay. But do you like them buttery and oaky or clean and crisp? California’s big buttery, woodsy Chard has dominated the market for years. That style of Chardonnay pairs great with food. But in recent years unoaked Chardonnay has really boomed. The unoaked Chards usually give a fresher fruit taste, crisp, and nice acidity. If you want sheer elegance for a special occasion, buy white burgundy or Chablis Cru at your nearby wine shop.

Your second white wine is a little trickier because of the wide range of choices. Lighter whites which drink easy include the entire family of Pinot whites. Pinot Grigio is often the lightest of the family and is made around the world. If you like a bit drier white wine, move to the Pinot Blancs. Riesling is a favorite of many and is made from very dry to very sweet. Arguably, the world’s best Riesling comes from Germany or the Alsace region. But you’ll also find great Riesling from Canada, New York, Washington, and upper Michigan.

Keep one Rose’ in-house because it’s the most flexible wine on your small wine rack or cardboard wine box. There are a few great Pinot Rose’ wines from California and Oregon but real devotees will tell you the best Rose’ comes from Provence in Southern France. World-class Rose’ comes at less than $20 a bottle. That funky pink wine is about as far from white zinfandel as wine can get. French Rose’ is a great food wine for lighter dishes.

Sparkling wine sales are growing around the world. Drink more and you’ll want more. Too many people have very dry Champagne memories from weddings past stuck in their mind. Today’s entry-level bubbles should start with Italian Prosecco and Spanish Cava. Both offer tremendous values with top bottles available for under $20 and often less. You don’t have to spend $300 a bottle to get the best French champagne either. You can buy great grower bubbles, grower meaning grown and produced usually in small lots, in the $50-$100 range.

The holidays are here and you need wine handy. Enjoy it with guests or keep the bottles around as a great gift. These six wines will help you be prepared. The only better advice is double down and buy a case!

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Gaining an Understanding of Burgundy

16 Saturday Jul 2016

Posted by in Food & Travel, France, Newspaper Column 2016, Uncategorized

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The Grape Sense newspaper column has often focused on introducing new wines, new price points, and an education focus about wine.

There is no bigger educational high point in wine understanding than Burgundy, France. Burgundy is home to a confusing geography, hard to find wines, and most of the world’s most expensive single bottles.

Grape Sense LogoNormally the focus is on value wine. But on occasion a look at other prominent wine regions helps with perspective. Additionally, I just returned from leading a wine tour group in Burgundy – my first-ever visit as well.

Burgundy lies southeast of Paris where the whites of Chablis and silky red and whites of Burgundy have a history going back hundreds of years. Many of the vineyards and wine making facilities date back to the time of Romans. Many of the vineyards and ancient winemaking efforts were started by monks in the early 12th or 13th century.

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Nothing like getting in the vineyard

Burgundy is a place for history. Perhaps the first educational point to get out of the way is a reminder that most all of France doesn’t tell you what grapes are in the wine on their bottles. You have to have a very basic understanding. In Burgundy reds are Pinot Noir and whites are Chardonnay.

After that, it gets complicated. There are approximately 100 specifically designated wine growing regions or AOCs. The wines are named for the region and its growing characteristics or terroir.

An example would be Gevrey-Chambertin which is a small village and surrounding vineyards south of Lyon but north of Beaune, the heart of Burgundy. My group tasted four Gevrey Chambertin wines at Domaine Rene Leclerc. The four wines came from four different vineyards – with a difference in soil, slope, and micro-climate – even though all lie in the same region.

And, the wines had slight differences. The area is known for wines of more structure and slightly more pronounced tannins. We tasted different in the earthiness you get in Pinot Noir and a slightly different level in the spiciness on the wine’s’ finish in your mouth.

Okay, it’s pretty geeky for a wine novice.

A fact that surprised some of us was the production breakdown. In the U.S. if someone says the word Burgundy people think of red wine. Actually Burgundy is planted with 60 percent white wine grapes. The whites were consistently silky and elegant. The better white wines were rich with a full mouth feel while maintaining that silky texture.

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… and then you taste!

Good Burgundy seems to start around $50 or asmore in the U.S. So indeed, not the normal focus of Grape Sense. But they represent some of the best wines in the world and certainly worth a try.

Burgundy is also one of the ultimate trips for wine fans. The walled-village of Beaune is a delightful home base with legendary wine caves beneath the city streets, the famed Hospice de Beaune, and wine tasting shops, Michelin-starred restaurants, and charming hotels throughout the city.

European wine travel requires advance planning. A trip to Burgundy is really the ultimate for real wine fans.

Chardonnay’s Multiple Faces

01 Tuesday Mar 2016

Posted by in California, France, Newspaper Column 2016, Uncategorized

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Mention Chardonnay and images of little old ladies sipping the yellow-ish wine at Tuesday card club comes to mind. Or the world’s most planted white grape may conjure up mental images of the wine-country Bachelorette party.

Grape Sense LogoNo grape is more loved nor hated than Chardonnay. For many years, often still prevalent, is an entire group of wine drinkers identifying themselves as ABC consumers – Anything But Chardonnay!

Chardonnay is even more dominating than many would guess. If consumers think of wine and California, they generally think of the king of grapes Cabernet Sauvignon. But guess what, Chardonnay is the most planted grape in California with Cabernet second.

Chardonnay is popular, in part, because it offers an array of flavors. Depending on style, the palate might discover lemon, pear, apple, pineapple, peach, citrus, honeysuckle, minerality, almond, and the list goes on and on. If the Chardonnay is oaked then expect vanilla, butter, butterscotch, and caramelization.

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Bernard Billaud of Billaud-Simon

Winemakers around the world grow and produce Chardonnay in a multitude of styles to appeal to consumers or to represent the area – think terroir – where the wine grapes are grown.

So for a bit of education let’s compare the two extremes – California’s iconic oaked chardonnay versus the mostly-unoaked Chablis of Burgundy, France.

While the trends, even in California, is somewhat away from the big, buttery, and oaky Chards, there is still a market for those classic wines. What has happened in recent years is a mixture of oak and stainless steel to create a somewhat softer version of the taste you know.

In addition to oak aging, Chardonnay often undergoes malolactic fermentation. But let’s not make this chemistry or complicated. Malolactic fermentation means using a different type of yeast to create a softer tasting wine than one which is more acidic. Those creamy, round soft Chardonnays from Napa most likely underwent malolactic fermentation.

Traditional oaked chard pairs wonderfully with chicken, soft cheeses, herbed fish, pork, and turkey.

In the small village of Chablis, in northern Burgundy, chardonnay is Chablis. Chardonnay is all about minerality and acidity – no butter and creamy sips for the traditionalists.

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Chablis Vineyards

The Chardonnay grapes of Chablis come from a relatively small area. The wines are aged in stainless steel or decades old cement vats. Some of the wine is oaked but it’s usually neutral oak that does not impart the strong vanilla and woodsy taste. And often Chablis is a blend of the traditional and oak aging methodology.

There are wine writers and Chablis old-timers who will vehemently proclaim Chablis as the greatest white wine in the world. One of my most memorable wine experiences was centered on this discussion during a 2012 fall visit. Wine icon Bernard Billaud was meeting with a small group of wine press folks and being pushed on the younger winemakers uses of some oak.

The older statesman of Chablis became a bit aggravated and said, “If you’re not talking about acidity and minerality,” and then he growled, “you’re just making Chardonnay.”

Chablis, or unoaked Chardonnay, is a better match with shell fish and sharp cheeses. The best sipper is debate centered on stylistic preferences.

To suggest California and Chablis are the two primary styles of Chard isn’t too much of a stretch but there are many wines made in styles at all points between the two.

There are interesting Chards from California’s Central Coast, Oregon, South America and New Zealand.

It’s loved. It’s hated. There are many types of Chardonnay to try and one to match your palate.

Bottles from NZ, Spain Quite Tasty

25 Sunday Jan 2015

Posted by in Australia/New Zealand, Spain

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Catch up time again on reviews and I’ve got several bottles I’ve really enjoyed, all at reasonable price points too.

Anyone entering the kitchen must think ‘what a wino’ but if they notice the bottles are empty. I keep the empties of those wines I haven’t yet reviewed – deemed worthy. These two, and several more to come, are quite worthy!

stoneleigh-latitude-chardonnay-marlborough-new-zealand-10625105Stoneleigh Latitude 2013 Chardonnay – Let’s face it when you think New Zealand most people don’t think Chardonnay – sauvignon blanc or pinot noir sure, Chard – not so much.

This wine comes from New Zealand’s “Golden Mile” in Marlborough – the premier region for wine grapes. I looked at this sample a couple of times when the box arrived certain I had never had a New Zealand Chard. I still don’t remember one but the Stoneleigh could change that.

Since I’ve written over the past several years I’m not a big Chard fan, I just may have to go back and find my digital eraser. I’m discovering more Chardonnay I really enjoy and this was one joins that group.

The wine has nice soft fruit – peach perhaps – on the palate with a hint of the wood but most importantly to me was the wonderful balance. I wasn’t clobbered by the fruit or the wood and it was still a rich mouthful of wine. I’d drink this wine with chicken or pork dishes. The alcohol was a bit of a surprise at 14 percent, but I wouldn’t have guessed that without looking.

Stoneleigh Latitude 2013 Chardonnay, avg. $17 retail, Trade Sample, Highly Recommended.

Altos de Tamaron 2013 – If any country in the world makes wine as consistently good for $11 as Spain, I’m still searching.

tamaronSince much of my focus, at least in the newspaper column, is on value wine and getting folks out of the supermarket wine aisle this is a huge winner. For years I’ve recommended Malbec and Tempranillo wines. Nowadays I seem to find more consistency from Spain at the bottom of the price chart than Argentina.

I thought this wine was simply darn tasty for the $11. We can go on with the dark rich flavor and deep purple color all you want but its pleasing and smooth red wine. The finish was longer than expected and I’d drink it – and buy it – in a minute.

The wine has been a pretty consistent medal winner in previous vintages. It never seems to win the gold but consistently takes silver or bronze. In the big international tests, that’s pretty consistent.

I’d drink this wine with grilled chicken, pork, lamb, and I actually had it with a bit of a quick meatloaf. This wine is rewarding enough to even put on your evening sipper list for a weeknight.

I’d highly recommend the wine for beginners or regular wine drinkers.

Altos de Tamaron 2012, SRP $11, Trade Sample, Highly Recommended.

Chardonnay Oregon’s Next Thing?

03 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by in Oregon

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Does the wine world need another great Chardonnay region? California has the great big buttery, woodsy Chards while Chablis brings the mineral and acid. There is virtually every style in between from regions across the globe.

Grape Sense LogoOregon has made its name with Pinot Noir and the white Pinot Gris. Now there are those who think Chardonnay is the next big thing in northwest wine.

“I think Oregon is really well suited for Chardonnay,” said Bill Sweat, Winderlea Winery. “Chardonnay does better in cooler climates. You get that great acidity and brightness, floral notes, the kind of flavors White Burgundy lovers go after.”

Ironically, when the wine drinkers learned Oregon’s Pinot Noir rivaled some of the best in the world some grape growers actually pulled Chardonnay to plant more Pinot. Chardonnay acreage dropped 25 percent between 1995 and 2001 while Pinot Noir and Gris nearly doubled. The original Oregon Chardonnay problem was the wine just wasn’t very good. It was all a matter of getting the right vines.

Penner-Ash, Lynn lo“When I first started in Chardonnay we only hand one clone,” said Lynn Penner-Ash, who has her own winery and consults with others in winemaking. “Now we’re seeing transition to the Dijon clone with better placement and better vineyard management.

The Chardonnays coming out of Oregon now are better and better – much better than early years.” Talking Chardonnay with Oregon producers is all about getting the right vines and a lesson in terroir. Most producers agreed the move away from the original vines to the Dijon vines made a world of difference.

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Sweat

“We originally started with some Chardonnay in the vineyard that didn’t do very well,” said Sweat. “But for the last 15 years we’ve been able to bring in some selections from France and they’re doing beautifully. “I’d say Oregon winemakers are making Chard that tends to skew more toward the elegant style. That has to do with the fruit itself. It’s not going to get as ripe as it would in a warmer climate.”

At a March tasting in Chicago, many vintners were promoting their Chards with enthusiasm normally reserved for Pinot Noir.

Lange, Jesse lo“Whether its stainless steel or wood fermenting, I think stylistically our wines have an identy of freshness of fruit where the wood balances the wine but never overtakes it,” offered Jesse Lange, Lange Family Estate. “In terms of its attention – grabbing headlines for the Willamette Valley – I think it has really taken off. I think we’re on the cusp of something big.”

Howard’s Picks: Most of the Oregon producers are making small quantities of Chardonnay but you can find a few in better wine shops. The wines compare favorably to traditionally styled Chablis. The price points are in the $20-$30 range. The best at the Chicago event, and previous tastings in Oregon, were the producers mentioned in this story. The best Chard at the pouring was Evening Land Chardonnay from the Eola-Amity Hills region of the Valley.

#Chardonnay Day Reason for Chablis

23 Thursday May 2013

Posted by in France

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“ABC” – Anything But Chardonnay has almost worn out its cleverness for those of us who aren’t fans.

Most people in the U.S. have tasted Chardonnay, wine drinker or not. Chardonnay is the U.S.’s default white wine. Most Chard served in such circumstances is largely California wine with oak or very heavy oak which profoundly colors the taste of this widely planted grape.

Chablis-2010-768x1024 (1)All that oak produces a vanilla, woodsy, or buttery flavor many love and some (like me) can’t stand. But for wine drinkers who like something a little lighter Chablis, and unoaked Chardonnay – from many different countries – is a very nice dinner wine with lots of different dishes.

I had a piece of fresh-frozen salmon I bought from an Alaska distributor defrosting in the fridge when I saw online activity reminding me it’s #Chardonnay Day. I’ve written about the #Day concept before which is essentially a marketing gimmick to bring attention to a particular varietal – or – a reason for wine geeks to get the ruler out!

I opened a bottle of Jean-Pierre Alexandre Ellevin Chablis that was very satisfying. Chablis is the second of four classifications from the northern Burgundy region. There is Petit Chablis, Chablis, Premier Cru, and Grand Cru. Wines at each designation are easy to find in the Midwest but “Chablis” is probably the most widely available and affordable.

The Ellevin estate is just outside the town boundries of Chablis with its 13 hectare of white wine grapes. The family estate has been in the hands of Jean-Pierre since 1975 with brother Alexander joining the business in 2004. I pulled that information directly from their website but I’ve always believed great wine has a great back story.

The wine was delightful – not as minerally characteristic as many – still had the tart and crisp acidity which has characterized Chablis for decades and beyond.

The wine was okay with the salmon, needed a bit more acid or minerality. I would think the wine would absolutely rock with most any chicken or poultry dish!

Jean-Pierre & Alexandre Ellevin 2010 Chablis, $19.95 on some online websites, Recommended.

Chablis Changes Chardonnay Bias

02 Saturday Mar 2013

Posted by in France

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An ABC wine drinker often wears the badge proudly while earning the derision of others. Woe is the wino who shuns Chardonnay in others eyes!Anything But Chardonnay – according to our good friends, often accurate occasionaly way out there, Wikipedia: Acronym for “Anything but Chardonnay” or “Anything but Cabernet“. A term conceived by Bonny Doon‘s Randall Grahm to denote wine drinkers’ interest in grape varieties.

Guilty as charged! Unoaked Chardonnay can be palatable for my taste but I can hardly choke down the oaky California version of one of the world’s most widely planted grapes. I’ve tried, I’ve failed.

Until …… I visited Chablis. Many will argue Chablis is the greatest white wine in the world! And yes, for the dearly uninformed – you guessed it, Chablis is Chardonnay! But you would hardly recognize her, particularly if your a novice, and no one tipped you off to the cross-dressing vinifera.

Chardonnay becomes an entirely different wine when grown at the very top of Burgundy. The soils, slopes and limestone create a refreshing white wine of depth with crisp acidity and beautiful minerality.

urlI learned such magic during a fall press trip to Chablis and was reminded again this week with a simple $18 bottle of Joseph Drouhin 2011 Vaudon.

For you real geeks here is all you could ever want to know from the good people at Pure Chablis. That’s also one of the best sites you find for all things Chablis.

How does a little minerality and acid change a wine that everyone knows and everyone has probably tasted? It’s the magic of terrior. I remember the aggravated words of Bernard Billaud who said (and I paraphrase) …’if you are talking Chablis it has to be about the minerality and acidity, and if not …. you are just making Chardonnay.’

Chabis icon Bernard Billaud

Chablis icon Bernard Billaud

He spit out the last five words as though he had swallowed some bitter, over-oaked Chard from some far corner of the world.

Now, why the riff on all this. Aaaa, back to the Drouhin, my $18 bottle of France I enjoyed with Chicken Lyon. The dish is essentially braised then baked chicken with lots of garlic in a cream and red wine vinegar sauce.

Drouhin’s Vaudon is aged in old oak barrells and comes from Valley of Vauvillien, nestled between the Mont de Milieu and Montée de Tonnerre Premier Cru vineyards. The name “Moulin de Vaudon” comes from the watermill nearby, owned by the Drouhin family and straddling the Serein River. (from Drouhin website).

For you geeky folks there is lemon and lime and restrained minerality and acid. I love it because it’s a finessed wine with a full mouth feel. It is one of the mostly wonderfully round and balanced white wines I’ve enjoyed in a long, long time.

Wine critics and other popular sites consistently rate this wine around 88-90 points. It doesn’t have the two traditional characteristics of mineral and acid to please a purist. But for wine newbies and people looking for great wine under $20, I’d give Drouhin Vaudon a 91-92. I paid $17.99 for the bottle at Kahns, Indianapolis. On the net, I found a price range of $18-$25.

For more on my October 2012 visit to Chablis click here: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4.

Oregon’s Chardonnay one of Next Big Things?

07 Monday May 2012

Posted by in Oregon

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Occasionally, I’ll post a wine-related news story here that I think even the most casual reader might find interesting.

The Wines & Vines story posted Friday is all about Oregon’s emerging Chardonnay wines.

It particularly caught my eye because when I visited the Willamette Valley last summer I remember asking Don Lange what’s new, what’s next for the region. Don replied without hesitation that Chardonnay was the next big thing.

The story is interesting. If you’re a Chard fan, check it out.

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com