All About Chardonnay

Chardonnay is often passed on, and for no good reason. It’s grown all over the world and is often said to be the winemaker’s grape, because it is a grape that is so neutral, and its taste and profile can completely depend on where it’s been grown and what winemaking techniques have been used. 

A warmer climate will give it more tropical fruit notes, like a very ripe apple. A cooler climate like Chablis, will give it a more tart taste and will be incredibly high in acid. The tastes also depend a lot on whether oak has been used or not, something you may have already learned from playing Blinders, with the Original Deck featuring both an oaked chardonnay, and an unoaked chardonnay. 

Chardonnay is a wine that pairs well with very rich and buttery foods, particularly a lot of seafood dishes for example. The acidity lets the wine stand up to the dish, and the richness lets it stand up to the quality of the richness in the dishes.

In the segment from SOMM TV below, Claire Coppi goes deeper into the beauty of Chardonnay. Go to www.sommtv.com to watch the rest of the episode, and watch as she tastes each of the three Chardonnay wines that she’s selected.